We are still tackling the beast in the freezer, so this week’s recipe is again beef, and because it is so cold and bleak out side, this meal needs to be hearty, warming and in season.
I found some red radicchio, and new seasons walnuts and pears, so thought I would start the meal with a salad of radicchio, pear and blue cheese salad. This is delicious; the slightly bitter radicchio meeting with the sweet winter pears and the creamy tang of blue cheese. I like the idea of starting a meal with a salad. A French friend told me, we always begin our meals with a salad, as it just takes the edge of the appetite, therefore we eat smaller portions. I have often wondered if this is the secret behind the French women’s trim figure.
The beef. For this incredible winter dish you will need good quality beef with a lot of natural fat running through it. It cooks slowly, like a French daube, and after three hours it will be so melting and tender that you should be able to cut through it with a spoon. Serve it with something that will soak up all those lovely juices; soft polenta (click for recipe) or mashed potato is ideal.
Braised beef in red wine
800g diced beef brisket
2 tbsp vegetable oil
750 ml red wine
250 ml chicken stock
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
20 baby onions, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves to serve
Season the beef. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-based pan over high heat. When very hot, add the beef. Allow the meat to color without stirring or moving it around in the pan – When it is colored on one side, then turn it and color on the other side. If you don’t have a pan large enough to take all the meat in one go, cook it in batches. You mustn’t overload the pan or the beef will stew and steam rather than caramelize.
When the meat is nicely brown on all sides, add the wine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until almost all the wine has evaporated; this should take about 10-12 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to the boil again. At this point, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Simmer for 1-½ hours.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
When the beef has been cooking for 1-½ hours, add the cooked vegetables and stir together. Replace the lid and continue to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add a little water if the beef looks dry.
After 2 -3 hours the beef should be soft and falling apart. It can be taken to the table and served immediately, with the parsley leaves scatted over, or kept in the fridge overnight and eaten the next day, which will give all the delicious flavors a chance to develop.
This Recipe has been adapted from Angela Hartnett’s 'Cucina'. Published in 2007 by Ebury Press.