Quick Beef

To eat less meat, stretch a small amount creatively. This recipe from F&W’s Justin Chapple calls for pounding beef tenderloin fillets thin and grilling them superquickly, so they stay tender and juicy.

The rich and luscious sesame sauce is key to these quick Middle Eastern–flavored lettuce cups.

This recipe for vaca frita ("fried cow") is a close cousin of Cuba's famous ropa vieja, stewed shredded beef in tomato sauce. The beef for vaca frita, however, is marinated in lime, garlic and salt, then seared until crispy. The key to achieving the perfect texture is to cook the beef in small batches, so it sautés rather than steams.

David Myers grills with bincho (hard white charcoal) and serves his steak with yuzu kosho, a condiment of yuzu (a citrus), chiles and salt. Home cooks can use a grill pan or any kind of outdoor grill for strip steaks. The topping: lemon zest, chile, daikon and cucumber salad.

"This type of dressing is in my blood," Alex Raij says. "It's like the chimichurri I grew up eating when visiting family in Argentina." The thinly sliced short ribs here are perfect for quick grilling. Ask your butcher to cut them flanken-style, or look for them at Asian markets.

Laab—ground beef seasoned with chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, and mint—is a traditional Thai meat salad eaten warm or at room temperature. We've added thin noodles to turn it into a pasta salad, but you can always eat the meat mixture by itself; just cut down on the fish sauce, or the beef may be too salty.

Chilled leftover steak is perfect in these light, vegetable-packed, easy to make rolls.

Chef Chris Cosentino braises beef shank and oxtail in red wine to make a brasato he serves with house-made mint pappardelle. Instead of oxtail, this dish uses just beef shank. Fresh pappardelle from a store replaces the house-made kind.

Teres major is an ultra-lean steak that's sometimes referred to as mock tender. Its similarity to the tenderloin makes it a great substitute for filet mignon.

These meatballs are served in a bowl, but they are equally delicious with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll.

This easy version of beef stoganoff is best for using up extra roast beef and gravy.

The ideal hamburger combines the fattiness of chuck with the rich, beefy flavor of sirloin. Grace Parisi uses equal parts of both cuts in her mix, a foundation you can transform into all sorts of variations. If you have the time, grind my own meat after salting it overnight: It's an extra step that makes the burger truly superb.

Top Chef Season 9 winner Paul Qui came up with this sugarless version of nuoc cham, the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce. Coconut water replaces the sugar; shallot, garlic and jalapeño add bold flavor.

These delicious individual meat loaves—made with just six ingredients and stuffed with cubes of fresh mozzarella that become warm and gooey—cook directly on the grill for less than 10 minutes.

Steak and french fries are a classic combination. For their classic dish lomo saltado, Peruvians toss the two together.

David Burke grills beef tenderloin, cuts it into long, thick slices about the length and width of a hot dog, then cradles each piece in a soft bun. One summery relish, made with kernels of sweet corn and bits of red onion tossed with cider vinegar, goes on top.

Chef Christopher Tunnell ran this hearty sandwich, which is spiked with ketchup, by his mom before serving it. "When she tasted it, she was proud," he says.

Pete Evans on grilling outside: "It's just more fun than cooking indoors—and it gets my kids off Facebook."

Is this an American take on a Vietnamese classic or a Vietnamese take on an American classic? Either way, these spicy burgers topped with Tabasco-spiked mayonnaise, slivers of crunchy pickled carrots and sprigs of cilantro are wonderful.

This is a stellar combination of juicy roast beef with bitter broccoli rabe and melty provolone cheese.

Pipían is a sauce made from dried chiles, ground seeds and nuts. This one, with almond butter and anchos, is delicious on steak.

New York Times columnist Mark Bittman uses this tangy, salsa-esque Argentinean sauce as a complement to rich skirt steak.

Not every curry requires long, slow simmering. This keema (minced) curry is made with ground beef, which is deeply flavorful and cooks quickly.