| Braised Beef | ||||||||||
| On a raw and rainy day, nothing warms up the house and makes it feel and smell like home better than a pot of meat slowly cooking on the stove. Inexpensive cuts of meat like chuck roast, stew meat or lamb shanks can taste like gourmet fare when slowly browned and cooked in a savory liquid for several hours. The following is a good basic recipe for braising any tough cut of meat. If you have the time, do the cooking early enough to then chill the meat and sauce so that you can remove more of the fat that will solidify on the top. As with any slow cooked stew, this tastes even better when reheated the next day.
Sue Kleber |
2 to 3 pounds of meat, trimmed of extra fat flour for dredging olive oil 1 large onion diced 3 to 4 carrots diced 2 large stalks celery diced 4 large garlic cloves 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp marjoram 1 bay leaf 2 TB flour 3 TB tomato paste 2 cups sturdy but drinkable wine 1 14 1/2 oz. can peeled, chopped tomatoes salt and pepper Salt and pepper the meat and dredge in flour. Shake off any excess flour so that only a thin veil remains on the meat. Heat a large metal or enameled metal oven proof casserole over medium to medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly brown the meat on all sides. This browning step is crucial. A perfectly browned piece of meat will have a thick dark crunchy crust which will melt into the sauce during the braising step. Remove the browned meat from the pan and add the onions. The onions will sweat liquid and help release the browned pits clinging to the pan. Adjust heat to medium and add celery and carrots and cook for ten minutes. Add the garlic, the tomato paste and the 2 tablespoons of flour and slowly sauté for another 5 to 7 minutes. (The tomato paste will turn a light reddish brown and intensify in flavor.) Add the thyme and marjoram and sauté until fragrant. Put the can of tomatoes, including the juice, through a food mill with a blade small enough to trap the seeds. If you don’t have a food mill just drain the juice into the pot and finely dice the tomatoes and add them. Add the wine and the bay leaf and stir the sauce until smooth. At this point the flour will thicken the sauce and look a bit too thick. The sauce will thin as the meat braises. Cover the casserole. The slow cooking of the meat can be done on a low burner or in a 325 degree oven, whichever suits your schedule. Stir every half hour. |
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Courtesy of:
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Real Estate & Living
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www.somocorealestate.com
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