Earlier this year, my family went in on a whole grass-fed cow. Yes, a whole cow. As in, we bought one. Well, technically, we bought the meat of one. My two sisters’ families got a share, my parents got a share, and we got a share. So, in the end, we bought a quarter of a cow each.
It never really sunk in for me just how much 25% of a half ton animal is. Especially because my parentsย volunteeredย to store the vast majority of our share until we moved. It wasn’t until last week, when my parents moved out (and took their 1/4 of a cow with them) that I realized I had an insane amount of cow to eat. As in, our chest freezer is full. So is the freezer on top of our fridge.
So, needless to say, we’ve been eating a lot of beef lately. A lot of it. And we’ve been particularly loving grilled steaks. They are so easy and come together so quickly! And the quality of our 1/4 cow is so remarkable (seriously, if you ever have a chance to get a share of a local, grass-fed cow, I highly recommend it) that it makes a simple grilled steak an amazing experience.
There are a lot of side-dishes that go well with steak, but there is something so iconic about steak and mushrooms. And steak isn’t a steak without a nice glass of red wine. So I figured, why not combine ’em all?
These mushrooms take a while to cook, but the hours they spend simmering in the combo of beef broth and red wine makes them sweet, carmelized and so rich with flavor that it’s totally worth the time. Oh, and want your house to smell incredible? Stick a dutch oven with mushrooms, onion, garlic and red wine simmering on your stove for the afternoon. Ah-maze-ing.
I also love the color of these mushrooms. They turn so deep, dark and purple, which I think is such a fun hue for a veggie side dish. I served them on a plate with sliced steak and mashed cauliflower, but I think they’d look beautiful next to a pile of bright steamed green beans. I love beautiful plates!
With delicious meals like this, we might get through all that beef quicker than I thought. But even so, I’ll take any of your favorite beef recipes. Help a girl out, pretty please?

Drunken Mushrooms
I love the color of these mushrooms. They turn so deep, dark and purple, which I think is such a fun hue for a veggie side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 large onion, sliced thinly
- 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups red drinking wine
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted.
- Add in garlic and onions. Saute until just soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add in all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until all the liquid has been absorbed, about two hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 323mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.