Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

Dinner Party Diaries – Volume 1: Issue 1

It was Wednesday and it looked like we were having a dinner party on Friday night.  So comes the question: What should we have this week?  Looking in my freezer, I saw two beef bottom round rump roasts.  Cool.  I could work with that–an easy Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party it is. To make things interesting, I decided to adapt the flavors from one of our regular chicken dishes to this application for a braised Beef Roast with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta.  I expected the result to be a tender, saucy roast served on a bed of Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice and was not disappointed. 

Many of our dinner party plans begin in much the same way–picking some random cut of meat from the freezer and figuring out what to do with it. With several low and slow (or their Instant Pot alternative) cooking methods at our disposal, pretty much any cut of meat we encounter can turn out tender and loaded with flavor. From that point on, our job becomes and exercise in figuring out what we should serve along with it.

For this week’s Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party, we’re keeping the menu on the simpler side. When you don’t decide that you’re having 8 people over on Friday after work until Wednesday evening, prep time is minimal. (Good thing the grocery store is open until 10:00 pm.) Because of that, appetizers are all things that can be opened, sliced, and set out. Sides also need to be pretty easy, so in addition to the Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice, we’ve got Green Beans with Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers on the menu. The only somewhat involved dish is the Keto Pistachio Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding for dessert. Really, I’m only classifying it as “involved” because it has a keto bread cube drying step that takes 45 minutes of mostly inactive time.

If you’re looking for an easy last minute dinner party menu, this Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party has some good menu options for your perusal.

Enjoy!

What We’re Having for our Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

The Menu

Appetizers

• Sliced Pepperoni & Salami
• Assorted Cheeses
• Hot Giardiniera

Main Course

Beef Roast with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta

A bit of a twist on braised beef, the flavor-packed tomato sauce is the start of this show. I like to make extra to have as a dip later in the week. Once you try this, it is sure to be an addition to your main course rotation!

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Side Dishes

Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice

Full of flavor and creaminess, this delicious side comes together with fairly minimal effort. After some up front work, this cauliflower rice dish can mostly cook on its own while you focus on getting other things ready.

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Green Beans with Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers

Relatively simple but packed with flavor, this green bean side dish is the perfect complement to a saucy main dish.

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Dessert

Wine Pairings

• 2020 Daou Vineyards The Pessimist
• 2018 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pre-Game Wine While Cooking: Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Franc

The Details

Number of People: 8 (including the 2 of us)

Serving Style: Buffet (We’re going to be a pretty full house this week, so I’m going to opt for buffet style in the interest of table space.)

Guest Arrival Time: 7:00 pm

Getting Ready for the Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

Advanced Prep Two Days Before 

• Cube the bread for the bread pudding and dry it out.  (If you don’t get to this until tomorrow, that’s fine.  Since you’re drying it out in the oven, it doesn’t have to be a multi-day process.  I just want it done.)  
• Make your grocery list.
• Go grocery shopping.  (If you can’t get to this until tomorrow, that’s fine too.)  
• Take the beef out of the freezer to thaw.  

Day Before Prep

• Make sure beef is thawed.  
• Mix up your rub of salt, pepper, and cumin.  
• Prep your beef by putting the rub on it.  Then put it back in the fridge.  If you have space to leave it uncovered, go ahead and do that for some dry aging.  If you don’t, stick it in a baggie or container.  
• Trim green beans (if needed) and stash in a baggie.  In the bag, toss the green beans with your spices / seasonings.  Stash the bag in the fridge.  
• Cube the bread for the bread pudding and dry it out.  (On sheet pans in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, turn / flip / shake them around, then 15 – 20 minutes more.  Check them after 15 minutes.)  
• Get out your cans of crushed tomatoes.
• Pre-measure your crumbled feta. 
• Slice your red onion.  Then stash it in another baggie in the fridge.  
• If you are mincing your garlic, go ahead and do that.  I cheat and use the pre-minced garlic from the giant container that I get at Sam’s Club. Would it be better if I minced it fresh?  Probably.  Is it a significant enough difference that absolutely anyone attending is going to notice?  Nope, not a chance.  
• Mix up your bread pudding, put it in a greased casserole dish, cover it, and store it in the fridge.  

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