Mystery author Liz Lipperman is filling in for Cloris
today. Liz started writing many years ago, but pesky villains kept popping up
in her romances. She finally gave up on romance and decided, since she read
mysteries and obviously wrote them, why fight it? Two years ago, she
signed her first contract for the Clueless Cook Mystery Series. Liver Let
Die debuted in October, 2011. Her latest release is Beef
Stolen-Off. In addition to two more books in that series, Liz
will have a paranormal mystery series debuting with Midnight Ink in May 2013.
Learn more about Liz and her books at her website.
Berkley is sending a copy of Beef Stolen-Off to one lucky commenter today. This is open to US residents only (their
requirement.). The winner will be announced on Sunday, so don’t forget to stop
back to see who wins. -- AP
First off, thanks to Anastasia for inviting me here
to share one of the recipes from Beef Stolen-Off, the second book in my Clueless Cook series that released this month
from Berkley Prime Crime. Here’s a short summary.
In Liver Let
Die, the first book of the series, you met Jordan McAllister, a wannabe
sports reporter who followed her boyfriend to Dallas, got dumped, and ended up
in a small Texas town where she landed a job writing personals. When an
opportunity came up to fill in for the culinary reporter who was rehabbing a
broken hip, she jumped on it, thinking it was one step closer to writing that
sports column she wanted so badly. The problem was she was raised in West
Texas, the only girl with three brothers who needed her outside every day to
even up the sides for football games, and although she could throw a
razor-sharp touchdown pass from 50 yards, she can’t cook her way out of a box
of macaroni and cheese.
As the food columnist for The Ranchero Globe, Jordan
McAllister catches the eye of cattle baron Lucas Santana, who invites her to
the Cattleman’s Ball, hoping a positive review for the ball might boost the
county’s sagging beef sales.
To ensure Jordan enjoys herself, Santana sets her up
with a prime cowboy companion for the event—Rusty Morales. Jordan’s delighted
to go with him and two-step the night away. But instead, she winds up in the
emergency room where her date is DOA.
When Rusty’s mother begs her for help, Jordan knows
she needs to grab the bull by the horns and get to the bottom of this mystery
before she corrals herself into trouble…
I love cowboys and had so
much fun writing this book. Like Jordan, I am not much of a beef eater,
preferring chicken and casseroles over beef. However, I do like ground beef and
cheap cuts of steak. The recipe I’ve included below is one of my favorites and
came right out of my mother’s cookbook. If it were up to my kids, we’d eat this
every Sunday for family get-togethers. When I was younger my dad was sick a
lot, and my mother worked three jobs to keep us off Welfare (I am one of 9
siblings.) One of those jobs was cooking at a motel that catered to truck drivers.
I guarantee those truckers came from miles away on the nights they knew her
Baked Steak and Gravy was on the menu. I know you’ll enjoy it, too. Here it is:
Bella’s Steak and Gravy
(Boeuf cuis au jus de Viande)
Yields 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound (3-4 pieces) top round steak
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons pepper
Preheat the oven to 325°F
Cut the meat into 3-4 single
serving size pieces if it has not already been done. Trim all the fat. Sprinkle a little flour (approximately 1 tablespoon)
on one side of the steak and pound it in with a tenderizing hammer, flattening
the steak. Turn and repeat for the other side. (If you use a butcher, you can
ask him to tenderize the steak for you. Then, you can simply rub a little flour
on each side of the meat.)
In a Dutch oven or skillet
that has a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the steak pieces on both
sides (2-3 minutes per side), working in batches if necessary so as not to
crowd the pan. When all the pieces are browned, place them back in the Dutch
oven, layering them. In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of flour and 2½ cups of
water, blending well. Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven. The liquid should
cover the steak and will become the gravy. Whisk out any clumps of flour, then
add the bouillon cubes and pepper. Continue cooking on the top of the stove
until bubbling.
Cover and transfer the Dutch
oven to the preheated oven and cook for 1½ hours. After about 45 minutes, check
the gravy for thickness: if it is too thick, add more water: if it is too thin,
add a tablespoon of flour to 4 ounces of water and whisk until smooth before
adding to the gravy. If the flour clumps, simply remove it with a louvered
spoon. Taste it and see if it needs more pepper or bouillon cubes. If you are
doubling the recipe, add one bouillon cube at a time after the initial four
cubes and taste after each one. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Sounds yummy, Liz! Don’t you think so, readers? Leave
a comment for a chance to win a copy of Beef Stolen-Off. -- AP
