Hearty Beef Stew

Cocoa powder might seem like an unusual ingredient to add to a savoury stew, but it adds an extra hit of toasty richness and colour, but without any of the sweetness you might associate with dessert. It’ll be your new favourite secret ingredient!

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Tenderloin grilling steaks get the royal treatment in this recipe with cremini mushrooms and red wine.

Oven-Braised Barbecue Brisket

Rubbing the beef with flavourful spices before cooking it to tenderness makes this roast a winner. For an informal family event, slice thinly and serve on kaiser rolls. If you can't find strained tomatoes, just process 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) whole tomatoes in the blender until smooth and strain out seeds.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Serve this saucy pulled pork as sandwiches: piled high on buns, with bowls of garnishes, such as pickled jalapeños, sour cream, shredded cheese and thinly shredded red cabbage (or better yet, red cabbage slaw), and let guests build their own sandwiches.

Curry Shepherd's Pie

With the addition of curry powder, this caserole is a spicy twist on a family favourite. And feel free to experiment with the addition of chopped hot spicy peppers if you desire more of a kick. I like to use a mixture of ground beef and pork. You could stick to the tradition of using ground lamb if you prefer.

English Shepherd’s Pie

Traditionally a way of using up leftover roast meat, this can be made with diced or minced lamb – either way, it’s a winner.
 

Mash hits

It was a piece of kitchen equipment that gave rise to the modern version of this meat and-mash dish. In the 1870s, the newfangled mincing machine made short work of processing offcuts of meat and a classic was born. It is widely believed that the dish came from the north of England and Scotland, where there are large numbers of sheep. Shepherd’s pie, as the name suggests, uses mutton or lamb, and is not to be confused with cottage pie, which contains minced beef. A regional variation is the Cumberland pie, which includes a layer of cheese and bread crumbs on top of the mashed potato.

Grilled Flank Steak With Golden Salsa

Sweet corn and grilled steak—does it get any more summer than this?

Cheesy Salmon Casserole

Everyone has a favourite go-to macaroni casserole, but this Salmon Cheddaroni from our archives might just become your new weeknight comfort meal. An easy bread-crumb topping creates a crispy crust, making every bite as tasty as the last. Serve with steamed vegetables. Cost: $2.30/serving

Steak Tacos with Feta Cheese and Avocado Salsa

In Mexico, a favourite taco is bistek, or steak, made with fried steak and toppings that usually include fresh cheese. Canadian cow's milk feta is quite similar to some of the fresh cheeses from Mexico and makes a delicious part of this salsa.

M. Lee Leuschner's Oven-Barbecued Short Ribs with Creamy Chili Biscuits