Beef Fondue |
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| Originally fondue was a Swiss peasant
dish. During the 70's it was quite the rage in this country and is
now making a comeback. House ware departments again have a fair
selection of fondue pots, forks and plates. A chafing dish
does not work well for Beef Fondue. You need to select an electric
fondue pot or one that uses liquid Sterno to ensure a high enough
temperature for cooking the meat. * Observe
caution when using.
Delicious and so much fun. Turn off the TV and visit with your family and/or guests as you enjoy. You should plan on about ½ pound of meat per adult. If you are serving younger children, they will most likely prefer the meatballs so you may want to provide a combination of steak and meatballs. Note: This does not work very well for very small children because some height and reaching is required. If you are serving younger children, assist them in spearing their meat and do the cooking for them.
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| The Meat
1 ½ to 2 pounds chateaubriand or London Broil For Cooking 1
½ cup peanut oil and 1 ½ cup butter or margarine |
Suggestions for Dipping Sauces
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| Never fill the pot more than ½ full of cooking liquid. If
you are using a Sterno pot for cooking, make sure you have an ample
supply of fuel on hand before beginning preparations.
Cut steak into ¾ inch cubes for those who prefer well done and 1 inch cubes for lovers of medium or rare. Blot the meat on all sides with a paper towel to prevent spattering when meat is added to cooking liquid if you are using oil and butter. For the meatballs, mix ingredients together and form into ¾ or 1 inch balls. Prepare sauces and meat ahead of time and keep refrigerated until all other preparations are completed. Place each sauce in separate dishes with spoons for serving. Place the fondue pot in the center of the table with a protective tray underneath. Make sure your table cloth is very washable. Use 1 fondue pot for each 4 guests and provide at least 2 fondue forks per person. Regular dinner forks will work for cooking, but the longer fondue forks are better and safer. Arrange a place setting for each guest with a dinner or fondue plate, steak knife and dinner fork for eating. Separate plates for salad and bread may also be included. Deliver the sauces and meat to the table. Prepare the cooking liquid by heating it just below the boiling point first in a sauce pan on the range. Preheat the fondue pot slightly and add the liquid. Follow the manufacturer's instructions very carefully whether you are using an electric pot or Sterno. If you are using Sterno, always make sure the flame is entirely extinguished before adding more fuel. Don't mess around with this and do not let children refuel or light the Sterno. Pass the meat around the table first. Each guest can take a 'mound' of meat, place it on dinner plates, pierce a piece of meat onto each fork and put into pot for cooking. Cooking time may vary from 30 to 60 seconds, depending upon the doneness of meat the individual prefers. This is not a hurry up dinner, which makes it all the more enjoyable. While meat is cooking, pass the sauces around the table. Each person selects portions of the sauces and places them on dinner/fondue plates. When meat pieces are done, put the cooked meat on the plate with the sauces. Refill forks with other portions of meat and continue cooking while enjoying the cooked meat dredged in sauce. We have a little habit in our house: when we get down to the last few pieces of uncooked meat, we throw them into the pot and it's "first come, first served". At the end any leftover meat and sauces, if there are any, are refrigerated and saved for tomorrow's snack. If you have used broth for cooking, pour it into a
container. Later you can remove any fat from the surface and
use the liquid for making soup or stew. |
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Thank you for visiting |
© 2007 |