Beefy Lentils

Yesterday I caught an old episode of Iron Chef America.  My favourite Iron Chefs have always been Morimoto and Batali.  They are awesome!  As I don't watch tv much, it was a surprise to me to find out Batali isn't an Iron Chef anymore, and they've got these threee new chefs, instead.  New being a relative term, I guess, since I think at least one of them has been there for a few years now. 

Did I mention I don't watch tv much? *L*

So there was this episode with Batali, and the secret ingredient was lentils.  By the time it was over, all I could think of was the bag of lentils I had in my cupboard and, my goodness, wouldn't those be great!!

So the following recipe was inspired by Iron Chef America and whatever I scrounged out of my cupboards and fridge, and it was so good, even my lentil hating Eldest liked it. 

It was all I could do not to finish the pot off last night.  Instead, it made an even better lunch. 

Beefy Lentils

2 cups brown lentils
about 3 1/2 cups liquid (I used some bullion powder to make a beef broth)
seasonings to taste (I used some Emeril's Essence, approx 1/3 tsp)

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2-3 stalks celery, plus the inner heart of the celery bunch, with its leaves, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
about 3 tbsp butter

1 small cooked and seasoned beef roast, cut into cubes

Pick over the lentils for any odd bits and pieces that don't belong.  Get rid of any shrivelled ones, too.  Rinse and set aside.

Prepare your liquid.  I just used some beef bullion powder in water and stirred in the Emeril's Essence, but go ahead and change it up however you like. 

Melt the butter in a pot large enough to hold everything.  Once hot, toss in the onion and lower heat to about medium/medium low.  Slowly cook the onions in butter until they are just starting to get transluscent.  Add the chopped celery (I had intended to use carrots originally, only to discover we were out, so celery it was).  Raise the heat a bit and cook the celery until it's starting to get soft.  Add the garlic and cook a minute or so longer. 

Add the chopped beef and cook until heated through.

(I buy warehouse packs of beef roasts, which usually have 2-3 hunks of meat in them.  I roast all at once, seasoning them with my favourite steak spice mix first.  If your meat isn't already seasoned, you may want to add more seasonings to taste later on.)

Add the liquid, raise the temperature again, stir and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the lentils.  Bring back to a boil and cook at a boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occaisionally.  Reduce temperature to medium low, cover and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Taste the lentils to check doneness.  I like mine rather toothsome.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary.  If there's more liquid on the bottom then you like, give it a stir and simmer a bit longer without the lid.

When done, cover and let sit for a few minutes before serving, or cool and refrigerate.  Reheat and serve the next day for even better flavour.

Between the beef broth, Emeril's Essence and the seasoning on the beef, I didn't need to add any salt or pepper.  Adjust your own seasonings to taste.

I'll mention right now, this is not the most visually appealing dish! *L*  The whole thing comes out a rather greyish brown colour.  Including some finely chopped carrots instead of (or along with) the celery would have added some colour.  I'll have to make it again the next time I've got carrots and see what a difference it makes.

Oh, and it's AWESOME eaten with buttered rye bread.

Okay, I've gone and made myself hungry.