Beef can warm us on the coldest of days and comfort us on days when the world stops making sense. Here are 3 delectable and rich recipes that make baked food great again:

1.    Filet Mignon with Shiitake Mushrooms

What you need

• Filet mignon steaks (4, 8 ounces each)
• Olive oil (2 tbsps)
• Butter (unsalted 3 tbsps and an extra half a cup)
• Fresh ginger (2 tbsps finely minced and 1 tbsps chopped)
• Garlic (1 tbsps finely minced)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sake (3 tbsps)
• Shiitake mushrooms (1/2 cup thinly sliced)
• Japanese sweet wine or mirin (2 tbsps)

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to about 400°F.
• Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
• Take an oven-safe skillet and heat olive oil over medium high heat until you can see smoke rosining from it.
• Sear the seasoned steaks in the skillet on both sides till they turn golden brown in color. Spend 3 minutes searing each side for the perfect color.
• Pop the ovens in the pre-heated oven and let them cook for 10 minutes or till you get the cook you need. Take the steaks out when they are done and set aside.
• Start preparing the sauce by melting 3 tbsps of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir till translucent. This should take about a minute at most. Add the mushrooms with half a teaspoon of salt cook until they turn soft.
• Add sake and mirin and simmer till the mixture reduces by half.
• Stir in the remaining half cup of butter and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook till the melted butter turns dark brown or a rich golden in color.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add in some chives.
• Pour sauce over the cooked steaks and enjoy.

2.    Veggie Beef Casserole

What you need

• Potatoes (3 medium, sliced)
• Celery (3 ribs, sliced)
• Green beans (2 cups)
• Ground beef (1 pound)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tomatoes (4, peeled, sliced and chopped)
• Dried thyme (1 tsp)
• Cheddar cheese (1 cup, shredded)
• Onion (1, chopped)

Preparation

• Take a large casserole dish and layer all of the vegetables (except the tomatoes) one on top of the other in it.
• Add the beef over the vegetables.
• Sprinkle dried thyme, salt and pepper.
• Repeat the procedure for each layer.
• Once all of the vegetables and beef have been layered, top off with the tomatoes.
• Cover the dish and bake in the oven at 400°F for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat and bake at 350°F for an hour or until the vegetables and beef are cooked through.
• Add cheese on top and cover the dish till it melts.

Baked food doesn’t get better than this. Check out more recipes that can give satisfy your craving for meaty dishes.