Beef It Up! offers something that I look for in every cookbook, photos of the recipes. I want to know what the dish is supposed to look like. In reality, the actual dish rarely looks like the photo. But we all know that the image is what draws you in and entices you to attempt the recipe.

Another draw is the recipe names themselves. They have to create interest and excitement. Who wouldn’t want to try Cheeseburger Soup or 20-Minute Mongolian-Style Beef?

One such recipe that drew me in with the name and picture was the Shepherd’s Pie Mac & Cheese. An easy casserole-type dish to feed a family and give cozy feelings. Who doesn’t love a good Shepherd’s Pie or bubbling mac & cheese? Sadly, the actual recipe let me down. I think it took me almost twice as long to make the dinner than the recipe said. And, in the end, the effort wasn’t worth it. There was little flavor or texture. My family was sad when the dish didn’t live up to the promise.

While it was the only recipe I tried, it doesn’t mean it was the only one I was interested in trying. What stopped me? My ability to find many of the ingredients. I am fortunate enough to have a large variety of grocery options where I live, but that doesn’t mean I want to visit every store for the ingredients. Nor do I want to spend a lot of money on ingredients that I may not use more than once.

Many of the recipes in the book felt as though they were ones that I had seen elsewhere (Pinterest, anyone?). And for that point alone, I find it hard to invest in another cookbook.

The one part of the cookbook that I found interesting and worth the investment was at the beginning, where the author goes into detail about the various cuts of beef and how to handle them. While I am not a novice in the kitchen, I enjoy learning more about different products, especially ones that may help me stretch my dollar a bit more.

Beef It Up! by Jessica Formicola is an excellent cookbook with over fifty delicious recipes. If you love beef and delightful side dishes, this cookbook is a must have!

Beef It Up! includes stunning photos with detailed instructions on making family favorites including soups, salads, main dishes, hamburgers, sloppy joes, meatballs and so much more. Additionally, Jessica provides a comprehensive guide to kitchen tools, food safety, meat temperatures, different cuts of meat and what to buy at the market to cook outstanding meals. There is no doubt that this is the perfect addition to any cookbook collection.

Beef It Up! By Jessica Formicola is available on May 24, 2022. Order your copy today! (4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)

Thank you, NetGalley and Storey Publishing, for letting me review this mouth-watering cookbook. Your kindness is appreciated.

Wonderful photos and art work accompanies a number of recipes for all types of beef. Many useful tips provided by the author. Good explanations on the different types of meat found on the cow. One will find a lot of recipes they’ll want to make, I did.

4 Stars for Beef It Up!

This book makes it easy to find a recipe for any dinner night. Whether you're planning to use ground beef, stewing meats, or you just want a juicy tasty steak. This book will give you some inspiration to make a delicious dinner.

This cookbook had such promise.

The good:
* The author explains different cuts of beef wonderfully.
* The recipes are interesting and easy.
* Easily accessible ingredients and cuts of beef you will see at your grocery store. Not just at a butcher.
* The author wrote witty starts to the recipes which is a fun bonus.

Now the ugh:
* The pictures (and there are plenty which is usually a good thing) didn’t really do the recipes justice. When you look at a cookbook picture you should want to make it immediately. Most had me flipping the page asap.
* I think a newer cook would definitely benefit more than a more advanced cook. (I’m just a home cook but I had a lot of these recipes in my arsenal)

All in all, the good definitely outweighs the ugh. I just think a different food stylist would have taken this to the next level. I’ll definitely check out more by this author.

Hi everyone!
This is one of the best recipe books I’ve ever seen!
This book focuses on beef and it has a long introduction about cuts, other basics and even some myth-busting pages.
The meat is cooked in different ways, taking inspiration from different cultures (asian, mexican, italian, etc).
The graphics are very nice and the pictures are mouth-watering. Seriously, kudos to the artist and photographer who took care of this book.
I’d love to see more books by this author!

I had no idea there was so much you could do with beef. Hubs loves beef, it is his favorite protein but normally you just get a single section in a cookbook. This is overflowing with ways to cook deliciousness, all with easy to follow recipes and mouthwatering photos. He was very much a fan of this cookbook too.

I received an ARC, but my opinions are all mine.

A good cookbook for dealing with beef. Good recipes and information- I'll definitely be trying a few of those recipes for meals!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This cookvooknwas soo much useful information! I appreciated the breakdown of what ypes of beef, the cuts, the doneness, the salt. It was all explained simply. The pictures were vivid and mouthwatering! Don't hesitate to grab this, especially if you're in a dinner rut looking for new ideas.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A great book if you are looking for new meat recipes.

If you like beef, but are bored of having it exactly the same way every-time, then Beef It Up! will give you a variety of different meal choices to choose from.

Beef It Up! is split into 8 different chapters. The first focuses on beef knowledge, explaining the different cuts, how to store and handle the various different methods of cooking it. We then have chapters that focus on smaller beef dishes (like sweet & sour meatballs); hefty soups (like red wine beef stew); beef filled salads (like chopped beef salad with spicy peanut satay); mains (like beef and pea stroganoff); handheld foods (like the perfect hamburger); bovine specials (like braised short ribs); and the accompanying sauces that work amazingly well with beef.

If any of those chapters sound interesting to you, then Beef It Up! will surely have a recipe that will give you the inspiration to try beef a different way.

Beef It Up! is full of practical recipes that will go over well in any family. It contains a variety of dishes using accessible ingredients. Would recommend!

Beef is my absolute favorite meat to cook with so I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes we get tired of tacos, spaghetti, meatloaf or steak and this cookbook presents so many cool ideas for or new takes on old classics (hello Shepard's pie mac n cheese)! I also like that the beginning of the book teaches you about the different types and cuts of beef. I found that section very interesting and helpful. This is a great book to spruce up your meal plan!

Who knew there was so much to learn about beef. Lots of very useful information at the beginning of the book regarding cuts and the best cooking methods for said cuts.
I don’t live in USA so I had to look up some of the ingredients ( rutabaga being one) and I think some of the cuts have different names here in the UK but thanks to the internet it won’t be too difficult to find the equivalent.
Some very tasty looking recipes and I will definitely be trying lots of them.
The book was enjoyable to read because I could tell from the way it was written that Jessica Formicola definitely loves her beef and her love of food definitely came across in the book.

A comprehensive guide for beef lovers! The beginning has a lot of valuable information about cuts, temps, seasoning etc. There are a great variety of recipes. As a household who buys a beef from a local farmer every year this book was perfect. My family has been a bit tired of the same old meals and this gives some really great new recipes and some variations of others I hadn't thought of.

I devoured this book from beginning to the end. Excellent information on beef, wonderful recipes, and great pictures though I do wish there had been more.

Chapter 1: Beef Up Your Knowledge had awesome information about beef including:
Figuring Out What to Buy
Cuts of Beefs Demystified
Shopping for Beef
Storage and Handling
Methods of Cooking Beef
Salt is the Key Seasoning
Go-To Kitchen Tools

Recipes are divided into the following sections:
Beefy Small Bites
Hefty Soup, Stews & Chili
Beefy-licious Salads
Meaty Mains
Handhelds
Bovine Specials
Sauce on the Side

I tried the recipe Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas. The recipe was easy to follow, the dish was quick and easy to make, and the fajita seasoning was quite good. I loved how the author had you make a paste with the fajita seasoning to paste all over the meat. If the rest of the recipes in the book are as good as this one was, I’ll be working my way through the entire cookbook.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Beef it Up! by Jessica Formicola is a great cookbook and instruction manual for explaining cuts of beef and preparing them to full flavor potential. Most of the recipes include a full color photo of the finished dish. Recipes seemed easy enough and not to difficult for the average home cook.

This book is small but perfectly formed. It’s compact in that it sticks to one main ingredient, beef and provides 50 different recipes. But more than that, Jessica Formicola writes about different cuts of meat and advises on preparation, so it’s well informed and interesting for either the novice cook or the more experienced. There are no off the wall ingredients and it’s set out well. Easy to navigate as an ebook and I imagine as a hard copy, it will look stunning all the photos. A great addition to any cookbook collection.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Beef It Up!: 50 Mouthwatering Recipes for Ground Beef, Steaks, Stews, Roasts, Ribs, and More is a well designed cookbook with beef as the main star. It is very visual, with great photographs, colorful charts, and interesting tips/hint boxes that leap off the page. The first chapter is very informative, explaining such things as how to differentiate between cuts of beef, how to shop, how to cook, and how to store. The remaining chapters are recipes, which I have listed below with some of the standouts.

Beefy Small Bites: Spicy Hand Pies; Beef Wellington Tartlets; Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Hefty Soups, Stews, and Chili: Smoky Steak Chili; Italian Meatball Soup; Red Wine Beef Stew

Beefy-licious Salads: Taco Salad with Ranchero Sauce; Southwest Steak Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Meaty Mains: Not Your Momma's Meatloaf; Beef and Onion Braised Brisket; Super Stuffed Peppers; Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas; Thai Coconut Beef with Coconut Sticky Rice

Handhelds: The Perfect Hamburger; Not-So-Philly Cheesesteak; Roast Beef Sandwich

Bovine Specials: Easier Beef Burgundy; Mushroom-Crusted Ribeye with Balsamic Sauce; Braised Short Ribs

Sauces: Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Beef It Up! is a short cookbook, but it has a lot of good recipes. I would make quite a few of these, but many are similar to recipes I have seen before. Overall, this is a good cookbook to give as a gift, as it is not too big or overwhelming.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher, Storey Publishing, LLC. The decision to read and review this cookbook was entirely my own.

BEEF IT UP! starts with a table of contents that will make any carnivore drool. Truly, you’re going to want to jump past the first 24, informative-as-they-are-on-all-things-beef pages (go back and read them while you eat), and go straight for the first recipe.

You’ll find amazing recipes such as . . . Spice Hand Pies, Beef Wellington Tartlets, Winter Beef and Barley Soup, Red Wine Beef Stew, Taco Salad with Ranchero Sauce, Chopped Beef Salad with Spice Peanut Satay, Shepherd’s Pie Mac & Cheese, Gouda-Stuffed Flank Steak, Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches, Life-Changing Panfried Steak, Quick Garlic Aioli, Fresh Herb Sauce, and more!

Great color photos accompany most of the recipes in this beefy cookbook. There’s something for every beef eater in your family. Vegetarians stay away because this book does indeed BEEF IT UP!