Back to the Cross - A Celebration Meal
Beef four ways with flavored rice - From Luke 15
Beef four ways with flavored rice
Back to the Cross,
Run back to the Cross
Wait not a second,
Run back to the Cross
Where your sins are forgiven
Chains clearly broken
Curses no more,
Run back to the Cross
Jesus is waiting
Our Saviour is calling
Wait not a second
Run back to the Cross
Have you experienced true and complete forgiveness?
It feels like a huge burden lifted up from within you. A burden you have had no idea you were carrying for years and years. A burden you never knew needed your attention, let alone forgiveness. It is a kind of forgiveness with no strings attached to it. It's liberation!
But who can forgive our sins like that? Where can we find it? Jesus, at the Cross.
Not just forgiveness; the truth is, at the Cross is where we can experience true compassion, deliverance, reconciliation, healing, peace, unity, victory, freedom, sanctification, salvation, and much more.
Hmmm…let's address the problem, though. Most of us know all the above but don't seem to have it at hand right now. Life happens, and along with it, frustration, failure, loneliness, uncertainty, and loss seem to stand in front of us like a giant and cover anything and everything in our line of sight. So what now? We know the truth, we believe it, but don’t seem to experience it.
Is there a separation? If so, what is separating us? How do we get back? What happens when we get back?
Well, that is what we are going to see in today’s story. A story of repentance and forgiveness. A story of love and compassion. The story of the Kingdom of Heaven - the parable of the lost son. Let's go.
Author : Jesus
Context : Jesus was surrounded by sinners and was teaching them. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law did not like this. They grumbled that He welcomed sinners and ate with them. So Jesus goes on to tell them three connected stories or parables: Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son. Three stories that seem to have one common thread: Getting lost - joyful recovery - celebration.
Our focus today is on the Lost Son from Luke 15:11-32
Characters:
1. Loving Father whose compassion is constant throughout the whole story - a picture of God.
2. Younger Son who wanders away but eventually gets back - a picture of sinners.
3. Older Son who is self-righteous - a picture of the teachers of the Law.
Story: There was a father who had two sons. One day the younger son asked for his share of the estate. In a culture where everyone lived and worked together, this act showed the disregard the son had for the father and his family. In modern terms, he is telling his dad: ‘I don't care if you and the rest of the family live or die, just give me my money and I am out of here’.
Though the father could have rejected his request, he honored his will and gave him his portion of inheritance. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country, and squandered all his wealth in sinful living. Soon he had spent everything and to top that, there was a severe famine in that whole country. He finally found a job feeding pigs—something that was detestable for a Jew. He didn't seem to find any mercy around him and he was in desperate need. He was famished and longed for a bite of pig’s food. But he couldn't even get that. And that is when he came to his senses. In his father’s house, even the servants ate well and had food to spare, and here he is, longing for pig food. He realized what he did was wrong and repented of his wrongdoings. Not only that, he decided to go back to his father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be your son; let me be with you as a servant, as I am not worthy to be your son.’
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and was found.’ So they began to celebrate.
We would think the story ends here, because it has a nice ring to it. But no, this is where the older son enters the story.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. He said, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother then became angry and refused to go in. But his father went out and pleaded with him.
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
There it is! It is an open ended story. I don't like open ended stories.
What happened then? Did the older son realize that he too is a sinner just like his younger brother and repent? Did he realize his sin of self-righteousness and trying to earn favor by doing work is as bad as asking for his share of inheritance and squandering it away? Did he join the party and celebrate with his now repented younger brother and live a life worthy of his father? Or was he full of bitterness and left his father like his younger brother first did? WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED?
I think this story is structured this way as it is an invitation to the self-righteous, like the Pharisees. Everyone has an option to take the invitation and come back.
Well, I guess I have to set aside my personal preference and understand the intent of Jesus’s story. Here is a father who is full of compassion and gracious towards his repented son, so much so that he didn't even wait for his son to ask forgiveness. He knew his son’s heart and he—the father himself—ran towards the son and gave back his honor and dignity by clothing him with a robe, gave back his inheritance as a son by giving him a ring, and gave back his authority by giving him sandals. Also, did you notice something? The father was not ashamed of his son. He hugged him, kissed him, and threw a huge feast for everyone to see. I mean, come on! That is above and beyond!
Think what would have happened to the younger son if he had never returned to his father. Maybe he realized his sin, but instead of running back to the father, he was filled with guilt and shame and hid from his father. Would he have experienced this abundant grace? He would have never tasted forgiveness and freedom from his guilt and shame if he hadn't come back to his father. All it took for him was to muster the courage and will to come back. The father took care of the rest.
What about you? Take a minute, check your heart. How are you doing today?
Do you think your sin is too bad and you are not worthy to be near God? Do you think you are a lost case, too far gone? Are you submerged in your own guilt? Do you think our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ won't forgive you? Do you think He is disappointed in you and is going to turn His face away from you when you go to Him? Do you think God has wasted all His time, love and grace on you?
The sad part is, sometimes we as children of God do think this way. But I want to encourage you with one truth today:
Run back to the cross. Please, oh please, run back to Jesus. It doesn't matter how big of a sin you think you have committed. It does not matter. He is not ashamed of you. Go to Him and ask forgiveness with all your heart. Repent and ask God to give you strength to not do it again. All He sees is your repentant heart; He will forgive you.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” John 6:37
Drag yourself on your hands and knees if that is all you can do. Gather up every inch of your strength and run back to the cross. Do not wait for a minute. Run back to Him. He will scoop you up and give you victory and freedom. Run back to the Cross.
Our recipe was built around verse 23: ‘Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.’
It's going to be a meal fit for a celebration. The father in this story killed a fattened calf (beef) and gave a feast for everyone. So I made four types of beef in this recipe.
Let's get into the recipe now.
Beef four ways with flavored rice
Flavored Rice Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups of Basmati rice
3 cups of beef broth
1 medium onion
1 tsp. Garlic paste
1 tsp. Ginger paste
2 whole bay leaves
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 medium-sized jalapeño or 3 green chillies
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1 cup of unsalted roasted mixed nuts
1 tsp. Salt (or salt to taste if the beef broth has salt in it)
5 Tbsp of ghee
1 pinch of saffron if available (add saffron to 3 Tbsp. of hot milk and let it bloom for 5 minutes - the milk should turn yellow, that is how you know it's bloomed)
3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil
Method:
Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes
In a heavy bottomed pan, add oil and 3 tbsp of ghee and heat it up.
Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, chopped onions, and chopped chilis and sauté them. Let the onions turn translucent.
At this point, add ginger and garlic paste and chopped cilantro, and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the broth and taste for salt and let it come to a boil.
When it is in a full boil, add strained soaked rice. It should be slightly salty at this point (like your tears). When the rice is cooked, it will taste just right.
Once it comes to a rolling boil, you will see the rice grains coming up. At this stage, reduce the heat to medium-low and put a lid on it. Let it cook for another 5 minutes, and you will see that the rice has absorbed all the water. At this time, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it cook for 15 more minutes. Then switch it off. Let it stand for another 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, open the lid, add the remaining ghee, and a handful of chopped cilantro, nuts and bloomed saffron milk. Fluff the rice. It is ready to serve.
Beef four ways Recipe:
Crispy Beef
Beef 1 - Crispy Beef
Ingredients:
1 pound of Beef chuck roast
2 tsp. Paprika powder
1 tsp. salt
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp. of corn flour
1 tsp. of white sesame seeds
½ tsp. of garlic powder
½ tsp. of onion powder
Vegetable oil
Method:
Cut the beef into big cubes. Add salt, 1 tsp. of paprika, chopped onions, cloves of garlic, cilantro and mix everything well.
Add water until the meat is partially submerged and cook well in a closed-lid pot. Don't cook the beef until fork-tender because we are going to cut the cooked beef into strips and deep fry it. So cook it until it's a bit chewy.
Once the beef is cooked, take the pieces of meat out and let them cool down a bit. Reserve the broth. You can use this broth to flavor the rice.
Once cooled down, cut the beef into strips, add garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 tsp. of paprika powder, and mix well.
Add corn flour and sesame seeds and mix again. Retain the strip shape of the beef, don't mush it.
Add a couple of teaspoons of beef broth to the beef strips if needed.
In a wide pan, add vegetable oil and bring it to heat.
Add the beef strips to the hot oil; don't overcrowd it. Let them turn golden brown, and the crispy beef is ready.
Beef 2 - Beef Cutlets
Beef cutlets
Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 large potato
1 medium-sized onion - chopped
½ cup of yellow lentils or any other kind of lentils you have on hand
3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp. of paprika
½ tsp. of cumin seeds
½ tsp. of fennel seeds
Salt to taste
1 cup of breadcrumbs
3 tsp. of corn starch
1 cup of chopped cilantro
¼ cup of chopped mint
3 tsp. of olive oil
1 cup vegetable oil for frying the cutlets
Method:
In a pan add oil, and once it's hot, add in cumin, fennel, onion, and garlic, and sauté everything well until the onions are golden brown.
Add in the beef and break it out so that there are no lumps. Add in ½ tsp. of salt and paprika and let the beef turn brown thoroughly.
In the meantime, wash and soak the lentils in water for 30 minutes. Peel the potatoes and chop them into cubes. Let that soak in cold water for 30 minutes as well.
Once the meat is brown, strain and add the lentils and potatoes.
Add ½ cup of water, put a lid on it, and keep it on a medium-low flame for about 20 minutes. Open the lid and stir it every 5 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. Check for salt and add more if needed at this point.
After the lentils and potatoes are completely cooked (like how we cook potatoes for mashed potatoes), mix everything well. Add in the chopped cilantro and mint at this time. Mix again. The mixture should not be watery. You should be able to make a ball out of it. If it is loose, keep it on the stove some more until the water evaporates. Once done, let the mixture cool down.
Once it's completely cooled down and if it's still a bit too wet, add in the corn starch or else, skip this step.
Make a lime sized ball of the meat mixture and flatten it with your fingers like a cutlet. Place the flattened cutlet on the breadcrumbs and coat it evenly.
Place a shallow frying pan on the stove; once it's hot, add in the vegetable oil. Place the coated cutlets carefully in the pan. Let them fry until golden brown, flip them once slowly, and let both sides cook until golden brown. Take out the cutlets.
Beef 3- Creamy Beef
Creamy Beef
Creamy Beef is a rich, creamy, and delicate white gravy. The meat should be incredibly tender and succulent. I used Sirloin as I wanted the beef to have a bit of fat in it. This adds richness to the dish.
Ingredients:
1 lb of cubed boneless beef
1 medium sized onion
3 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger
1 full jalapeño or 2 green chillies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp ghee or butter
1 cup of Greek yogurt
½ cup of raw cashews - soaked
½ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of chopped cilantro
Method:
In a heavy-bottomed pan, add in the ghee or butter. Once it's melted, add the bay leaves, fennel seeds, onion, garlic, and ginger, and fry until the onion is translucent.
Add in the beef and along with it add salt, pepper, chopped jalapeños, and yogurt. Mix everything well and add ½ cup of water to this mixture. Let it all come to a boil, then put a tight lid on it, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it all cook until the beef is fork-tender. Add a bit of water to the beef mixture if it becomes dry before the beef cooks.
Once the beef is tenderly cooked, open the lid and check for salt. Add in more if needed.
In a blender, add the soaked cashews and blend smoothly. Add this mixture to the beef and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
At this stage, add the cream and switch off the flame in a minute. Add in cilantro.
For this platter, I strained the beef from the sauce and served it separately. I wanted to have just the meat on top of the flavored rice and I served the sauce in a separate dish. This is totally optional. You can leave the beef in the sauce and it will keep the meat tender for a long time.
Beef 4- Tomato Beef
Tomato Beef
Ingredients:
3 lb of chuck roast - cut in 4 parts
1 small chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp. of Italian seasoning
Salt as needed
½ cup of water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 325F.
In a baking dish, add in all the ingredients listed under the ingredient list and mix thoroughly.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil - I used 2 layers.
Place the dish in the oven and let it cook slowly.
Check after 1.5 hours and add a bit more water if needed.
Let it cook for another 2 hours. In total, the meat should cook for 3.5 hours.
Once cooked tender, transfer the meat onto a cutting board and carefully cut the meat into cubes. It will be really tender. You can also shred it if you prefer it that way.
Add the remaining sauce to a shallow, wide pan and bring it to a simmer. Add in the cubed meat and let the meat get coated in the sauce really well. Serve hot.
Sauces:
I served all of this with 2 kinds of fresh sauces. As it's a lot of beef, sauces like this pair well.
Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup of crushed tomatoes
½ clove of garlic
½ cup of chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
½ jalapeño without the seeds
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lime juice
Method:
Add all the above ingredients in a chopper and pulse until it resembles salsa. I pulsed it for 5 seconds. Don't purée it.
Yogurt sauce
Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1 cup of chopped cilantro
½ cup of peeled, shredded, and strained cucumber
½ clove of garlic
½ jalapeño - seeded
Salt to taste
Method:
Blend everything in a blender and serve fresh.
