Up Your Iron Intake with 20 of Our Best Beef Recipes

Maybe you're giving the Whole30 diet a go, and you need to up your animal protein intake. Maybe you want to piss off your vegan ex by Instagramming your meaty dinner. (And maybe you'll want to impress your new romantic interest with a meal thats a little fancier than grilled cheese.) Maybe you just want to indulge in a nice, high-quality cut of red meat instead of canned beans and frozen chicken breasts for a change. Whatever's causing your carnivorous cravings, we're here for you with some of our favorite ways to prepare a good piece of beef.

“Prime rib is so American,” says (Canadian) Matty Matheson. “It’s a powerful cut of beef.” Without getting all jingoistic about it, we happen to agree—a good prime rib is one hell of a cut of meat. ‘Murrica.

Nam jim refers to various types of Thai dipping sauces that perfectly balance all the sweet, salty, spicy and sour notes you could want to dip meat or fish in. Chef Louis Tikaram, the LA-based chef of Chinese-Fijian-Indian heritage, combines cilantro, garlic, ginger, white peppercorns and fermented soybean paste for his unique take on nam jim.

The classic pairing of steak and potatoes, but made for eating with your hands. Forget that fork—it’s time to unleash your inner carnivore.

Forget about braising. Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov is here to tell you that the best way to make short ribs is to first coat them in a crazy flavorful spice rub and let them cure in your fridge for two whole days. Then, when it’s go-time, roast them low and slow for “a true Hanukkah miracle.”

Bacon is fine, but when you need something a little heartier: Beef—it’s what’s for breakfast. Top this spiced meat with gooey eggs, because you need your gains.

Everyone’s favorite California blonde, Guy Fieri, shared this amazingly quick pressure cooker brisket recipe with us when he visited the MUNCHIES test kitchen. He told us not to fear the pressure cooker. “People always think they’re going to explode,” he said, “but they won’t!” If you say so, pal.

You can thank the Dutch for these party-friendly rounds of fried beef gravy. Don’t skip the mustard dip and cold beer here: you’ll want something to cut through the intense richness.

A butcher sandwich is really just whatever cut of meat happens to be lying around, on some crusty bread, with sparse condiments. Of course, Action Bronson has never made anything basic in the kitchen, so he made his with a gorgeous ribeye, ricotta salata, preserved chilies, and award-winning Tuscan olive oil.

Kris Yenbamroong of LA’s Night + Market Song blew our minds with this high-brow/low-brow concoction of fried instant noodles sautéed with a gorgeous 28-day dry-aged porterhouse and fresh uni. Definitely take the final direction in this recipe to heart: “Stuff your face accordingly.”

This simple chili skips the bean filler in favor of lots of shreddy beef. A mix of pasilla, guajillo, and chiles de arbol add a nice, warming spice that begs for a big dollop of sour cream.

Flank steak is a cheap butcher’s cut, as it’s usually a tougher piece of muscle from the belly of the cow. But when cooked properly, and slathered with David Tanis’ wildly flavorful salsa verde, it can feel fancy AF.

Sure, you could pop a frozen beef patty in the oven. But if you’re the type that likes a little project, make them from scratch: the flaky turmeric dough is worth keeping in your baking back pocket.

The stock for this pho takes a little bit of effort, but you get big returns with a rich, flavorful base for a classic beef pho.

Ground beef counts, too. And these classic meatballs from Matty Matheson combine equal parts beef, veal, and pork for a red sauce dinner just like Grandma used to make.

Max Halley, of beloved London sando spot Max’s Sandwich Shop and host of The Sandwich Show, has these parting words for you as the final step in this recipe: “Eat. Close eyes and think of Korea. Over and out.”

Matty Matheson doesn’t use just any ol’ flimsy skirt steak for his fajitas. No, no. He uses a two-inch-thick tomahawk steak the size of your face. Get sizzlin’.

If you can afford to splurge on some legit Wagyu steaks, then you can afford to bastardize them by deep frying them in Shake ‘N Bake breading. Go ahead and be stupid decadent.

Flap meat, or sirloin tip, is another cheap cut of beef that is usually great for things like marinating and skewering for kebabs. Here, with a bright chimichurri spread and a tomato-and-parmesan side salad, it makes for a pretty great lunch sandwich.

Watch French chef Julien Ponthieu show you how to properly mince a nice piece of Argentinian flank steak first. Then treat yourself to a truly swanky snack.

Chef Katie Button of Asheville's Heirloom Hospitality Group showed us how to make the steak-and-potatoes dinner of our dreams, all in 30 minutes. This blue cheese sauce is still making us drool a bit.