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Solar Beef Stew
The stacking pots that come with the Sun Oven accessory package are ideal for preparing this stew. If you don’t have them, or any other stackable pots, the carrots can be cooked in the same pot as the meat. Add them towards the end of the cooking time so they don’t get too mushy. I like to cook them separately so they retain their color.
Double-Decker Sun Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed of fat and patted dry
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Solar Short Ribs
I’ve never made short ribs in anything other than my Sun Oven so I can’t really compare them to those prepared in a traditional oven or a slow-cooker. I can compare them to the ones I’ve had in restaurants. They’re just as good and a whole lot cheaper.
Sun Oven Braised Short Ribs with Herbes de Provence
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds short ribs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Solar Simmered Classic Beef Broth
Almost every Sunday in kitchens across Northern Italy you’ll find a large pot of “Brodo di Carne” simmering on the stove.
The broth is used throughout the week in risottos and soups.
The meat is sliced up and served with pesto like sauce called “Salsa Verde” (not to be confused with the Mexican salsa of the same name) or “mostarda di cremona”.
I like to use the meat for sandwiches to go into packed lunches.
Sun Oven Italian Meat Broth
Ingredients
For the Broth
4 pounds beef chuck, with bone
2 small onions, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks, with leaves
Solar Pot Roast
The moist, gentle heat of the Sun Oven is ideal for pot roast. A heavy cast iron Dutch oven is the best pot to use as it can be difficult to brown the meat in the light weight pots typically used for Sun Oven cooking.
Solar Braised Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 1/2 pound boneless chuck roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
Pasta and Meatballs All in One Pot
I’d be the first to admit that pasta, with the exception of baked pasta dishes such as lasagna or macaroni and cheese, is better when cooked the traditional way; in a large pot of rapidly boiling water. However, it is possible to make decent pasta in the Sun Oven. I’d just say it’s something I’d save for emergency situations, camping, or when I need something to blog about.
One Pot Sun Oven Pasta and Meatballs
Ingredients
2 cups pasta, cavatappi or fusilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup water
Solar Italian-Style Meat Loaf
This is my favorite meat loaf recipe. It’s from the 1995 edition of the “Toaster Oven Cookbook” and is the only surviving page of my copy. It goes great with pasta and tomato sauce. Any leftovers can be used in sandwiches.
Solar Italian-Style Meat Loaf
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
Weeknight Dinner from Solar Leftovers
It’s still cloudy here in southern California today but tonight’s ragù was made with leftovers from the solar braised ribs I blogged about yesterday. Paired with a salad and a good glass of wine it makes a great weeknight dinner. Make sure to set aside 1 cup of the onions and 1 cup of the sauce from the ribs to make this sauce. It’s more than enough for a pound of rigatoni.
Rigatoni with Beef Ragù
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup cooked onions leftover from braised chuck ribs
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (14 ounce can) strained tomatoes
5 ounces leftover braised chuck ribs, shredded
1 cup leftover sauce from chuck ribs
2 tablespoons butter
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
1 pound rigatoni prepared according to the instructions on the package
Preparation
Heat the oil and the garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the cooked onions and the wine and cook until the wine evaporates. Stir in the tomatoes, the shredded meat, and the leftover sauce. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Toss the sauce with the butter and rigatoni. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
Onion Braised Chuck Short Ribs
The past two days have been cloudy here but thanks to modern weather forecasting, a little planning, and some reheating we were still able to enjoy solar cooked meals. I got this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s “The Best Make-Ahead Recipe” cookbook. It called for beef brisket but I couldn’t find any that wasn’t brined for corned beef. I used boneless chuck short ribs instead. Using short ribs makes it easier to adapt the recipe to the number of portions you want to make. Just calculate one rib per person and adjust the other ingredients accordingly. Make enough for leftovers of the sauce, onions, and ribs; they can be used for French dip sandwiches or pasta sauce later in the week.
Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds boneless beef chuck ribs
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Slow Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Boneless beef short ribs (also know as country-style ribs) require long, slow cooking to tenderize them – just what the Sun Oven does best!
Solar Boneless Beef Short Ribs with Horseradish Cream
Ingredients
Horseradish Cream:
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Super Easy Solar Roast
This roast is easy to make and packs a lot of flavor. It’s also easy to personalize; use wine instead of vinegar, throw in some mushrooms, add a little garlic, try different herbs – you get the idea. Make it your own.
Sun Oven Bottom Round Roast
Ingredients
