James has always been vocal about his preference for chicken over other meats, especially when we’re eating at home. My few attempts at porkchops have had a lukewarm reception from him (but always with the ‘it’s not your cooking, I just don’t like porkchops’ footnote). Beef used to be on equal ground with chicken, but recently it’s been relegated to a once-in-a-while treat. I think that its downgrade in status began with our gradual conversion to healthier eating; we began focusing on more chicken and fish rather than beef and pork. But from my perspective as the home cook, I found chicken to be a much more versatile protein than beef.

But when I spied the slashed price on sirloin tip roast in a grocery ad, I couldn’t resist. I had tried roasted pork tenderloin before with James and failed. Perhaps beef would be able to tempt his palate more than pork ever could!

And boy, did it ever.

The preparation was so simple that I could easily justify making this on any weeknight for any family. Even though the recipe lists a 2-hour marinade, you can marinate meats such as pork or beef for up to 24 hours without seeing a significant difference in taste or quality.* You could combine this roast into a bag with wine and garlic cloves, leave it in the fridge while you’re at work, then roast it when you get home and have it ready in time for dinner. It tastes like you spent a long time tweaking the flavors to get it ‘just right’ but takes a fraction of the effort. I know that I tend to be a bit of a masochist in the kitchen with the difficult preparations, but I can’t deny that I have my favorite go-to recipes that are simplicity at its most delicious.

*Marinating more high-quality cuts such as rib-eye or porterhouse is not recommended as it will decrease the quality of the cut. Source

If you love medium-rare beef as much as we do, investing in a meat thermometer is essential. You won’t be able to guarantee the consistency of a beef roast on time in the oven alone, as cuts can vary. This is the thermometer that we use; I like it because I can set an alarm to go off when the probe has reached the preferred temperature. But any manual or digital meat thermometer will go a long way in taking the guesswork out of roasting meat!

I also wanted to mention the importance of placing this roast on a rack instead of directly on your baking sheet or tray. The rack keeps the roast from touching direct heat, which assures a more even consistency to your roast. I made the mistake of neglecting this step and paid for it with a much-too-well-done bottom of my roast. Let my errors be your guide.

The herb rub made for an amazing outer crust, and the wine and garlic marinade gave the inner meat of this roast a tender juiciness. This is the perfect recipe for impressing family and friends, and fares just as well as a leftover cold-cut for the next day’s sandwiches. Even if beef is not your everyday preference, I promise that this simple recipe warrants a try.

Recipe adapted from About.com.

I’ve never been a fan of chili. I’m not sure if the Chili Fairy skipped over my taste buds as I was growing up, or whether I have some dark, repressed memory of a chili that caused me to refuse to eat it… either way, I staunchly refused to eat much of it until recently. I think I mentioned a few posts ago that I’m currently experiencing a flavor renaissance; perhaps this is yet another step toward being a well-rounded eater?

It’s a damn shame that I didn’t give chili a chance when I was living in Denver, and pretty ridiculous that I’ve become such a fan in more-or-less balmy Los Angeles. Even though I never ate chili when I was living in Colorado, its thick, hearty flavor and consistency instantly take me back to the cozy nights I’d spend at home with friends and family. And I start thinking… how much better would those game nights have been with a nice, hot bowl of chili shared with friends? Or a game day cheering on the Broncos with chili, beer and chips?

These sentiments always bubble up to the surface when I’m getting ready to travel back to Colorado; I love Los Angeles, but Denver is where my heart lies. Maybe these are just the words of a 2 year displaced LA transplant, and it’s quite possible these feelings may fade over time. But for now, this chili is for you and for my memories with you, Colorado. (It’s okay, Los Angeles… we still cool.)

Anyhow, enough of this mushy stuff. The holidays always get me… go figure.

I love the idea of adding beer to chili–alcohol always ups the complexity of a dish and gives it that je ne sais quoi that is hard to put a finger on. You can use whatever beer is in the fridge if you don’t want to go out and buy a darker ale, but I would stay away from using sweeter beers. If you can help it, use the smoked paprika instead of regular paprika because it adds that nice, smoky flavor to the broth  that is irresistible! And lastly, if you like your chili spicy you can double the amount of cayenne pepper. (I cut the amount in half for the recipe to make it friendlier to the non-spicy crowd.) I don’t know if I’m a masochist or just an enthusiast, but I don’t think chili is chili unless it gives you a slow burn on the tongue.

Enjoy in a bowl with cheese, on top of fries, with hot dogs, served with cornbread… however you like! A usual suspect is sour cream–if you’re trying to cut down on your fat intake, my friend Brett recommends greek yogurt as a fantastic substitute.

Whatever condiments you choose to use or whom you choose to share your chili with, I highly recommend shaping the recipe with your own additions to make it yours. That’s what chili is all about!

Recipe adapted from My Recipes.