Jim's Special

Although the story goes that the Joe's Special was "invented" or more likely just thrown together as are many of the finest dishes in the world at a restaurant in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco and I've always delighted in this fine meal of ground beef with onions, spinach and eggs. 

Tonight, a variation of this is one of my usual delicious, fast, the kitchen sink and everything in the fridge kinda meals to have when there is a lot of little bits of stuff and this was a perfect way to use some of the leftovers from the pizza party we had Saturday as well as a tremendous way to get some hot, hearty food on a plater in just a few short minutes.

I got home hungry and needed to get dinner in me as I have some work I needed to get to as well as some laundry to get in.  So I whipped it up, ate in front of a recorded episode of Mad Men and signed into the network for work but now there's a problem with the application I need so it's time for another beer and some more Mad Men to catch up with and some writin' to do.

This is something you can make to your own taste and with whatever you have and it will (probably) always be delicious if you use all the stuff you like but here's what I came up with tonight and it truly was a...

Jim's Special

• 1 Tbl Olive oil
• 3oz Lean ground beef
• 1oz Red onion, diced
• 2oz Mushrooms, chopped coarsely
• 1oz Fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 1oz Fresh red bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tbl Mama Lil's Kick Butt Goathorn Peppers in their oil
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1oz Feta cheese
• Freshly sliced scallions

1. Brown the ground beef in the olive oil
2. Add the onions & mushrooms cooking for about 2 minutes while stirring to wilt
3. Stir in the spinach and let wilt
4. Add the Mama Lil's peppers and blend everything together with fresh ground pepper to taste
5. Once this is on the plate, top with crumbled or grated feta (try freezing and grating, excellent way to get it all over)
6. Top with scallions and serve with toast

I had this with a fine Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale and I do believe I'll have that 2nd one now.

One note about the beef, I use (whenever I can) the ground beef from Mountain Beef.  This is a terrific product from truly free "range" beef.  The cattle are not pasture grazed but freely graze on range plants; desert sage, weeds, etc in Eastern Washington and Oregon.  The beef is so rich and has such a great minerally flavor.  The ground beef is made up of the entire cow; premium cuts included along with the more common and more flavorful cuts.  If you get a chance, try and find some of this fine product.  We're lucky enough to have the racher's themselves visit us at the summer farmer's market so I'm hoarding what I bought and breaking it out about once a month.

Stir in the beaten eggs and scramble until done to your liking

Hasta