Braised Beef With Red Wine Cranberry Food

BRAISED BEEF WITH RED WINE & CRANBERRY

Steps:

• Cut the meat into large chunks. Tip 2 tbsp flour with some salt and pepper into a large food bag, add the beef and shake to coat the pieces. Thinly slice the onions.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the beef and fry on all sides until evenly browned. You may need to do this in two batches. Remove to a plate.
• Heat 1tbsp oil in the pan if you need it, then add the onions and fry quickly for 5 minutes until tinged brown. Return the beef to the pan and add the wine and stock. Bring to the boil, stirring to scrape up the juices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Reduce the heat, cover tightly with a lid and cook at a gentle simmer for 11⁄2 hours until the beef is tender. Stir in the cranberry sauce, taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and serve with mash, and a scattering of flatleaf parsely.

GARLIC BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH RED WINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving the good browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste has started to caramelize a bit on the bottom and up the edges of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add red wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned or caramelized bits. Let this simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to take the edge off and reduce a bit. Stir in beef stock along with thyme. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, nestling them in there so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven.
• Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 3½ to 4 hours.
• Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care (for presentation purposes, really) not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. (While you could serve the short ribs right out of this pot, the vegetables have all given up their flavor and texture and aren't worth much now, so feel free to strain the sauce for easier eating.) Scatter parsley, chives and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve alongside.

BEEF BRAISED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Meanwhile, pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Brown meat in hot oil on all sides, about 10 minutes total. (If bottom of pot begins to scorch, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to a plate using a fork and tongs.
• Add pancetta to oil in pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sauté, stirring, until garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer, then return meat along with any juices accumulated on plate to pot. Cover pot with lid and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board. Skim fat from surface of sauce and discard along with herb stems. Boil sauce until reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes, then season with salt. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and return to sauce.

BRAISED BEEF IN RED WINE

Steps:

• A day ahead, marinate the beef. Bring the wine to the boil in a large saucepan, then boil until reduced by a third to remove the alcohol (takes about 8-10 mins). Leave to cool for about 1 hr. Mix the beef steaks, carrots, celery, baby onions, garlic, crushed peppercorns and bouquet garni together in 1 or 2 large bowls, then pour the cooled red wine over them. Cover with cling film, put in the fridge and leave to marinate for 24 hrs.
• The next day, place a large colander over a large bowl and tip in the beef mixture to drain off the marinade. Leave for at least 1 hr to remove excess liquid.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sprinkle the flour on a baking sheet and cook for 8-10 mins until it has turned pale brown. Set aside. Reduce oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Separate the beef, vegetables and herbs and pat dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the marinade liquid. Season the beef with 4 pinches of salt. In a large, heavy-based casserole over a high heat, warm the clarified butter, then colour the beef steaks in it for 5-7 mins on each side - in batches if necessary. (To clarify butter, warm it gently in a small pan. The white milk solids will sink to the bottom, then you can carefully pour off the clear, clarified butter.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Add the drained vegetables to the casserole. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 mins until lightly coloured, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the toasted flour into the casserole and stir for a few secs. Pour in the marinade wine little by little, stirring constantly to incorporate it into the flour and until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add the beef and herbs, bring the sauce to the boil and skim if necessary. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hrs.
• To finish the sauce, place a colander (big enough to hold the meat and veg) over a large saucepan and drain off the cooking liquor from the casserole. Put the saucepan on a high heat and boil until the sauce has reduced by about half to make a lightly coating sauce. Skim if necessary. Taste the sauce. Do not add any salt as you will be adding the smoked ham or lardons later. Return the beef and vegetables to the casserole, then pour over the sauce (discarding the herbs).
• For the garnish, heat the butter over a high heat in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the mushrooms until lightly caramelised, adding a little more butter if necessary. Season to taste. Mix into the beef with the finely sliced ham or freshly fried lardons. Heat through, sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot.

YUMMY SCRUMMY BRAISED BEEF WITH RED WINE AND CRANBERRY

Steps:

• Cut the steak into bite size pieces and tip into a large food bag with the flour and some salt and pepper.
• Give the bag a good shake, making sure the beef is well coated.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan.
• Add the beef and fry until evenly browned.
• Remove to a plate.
• You can do this in two batches if you prefer.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and add the onions.
• Fry for 5 minutes until they're slightly brown.
• Return the beef to the pan and add the wine and stock.
• Bring to the boil, stirring well to scrape up the juices.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• NOTE: I only add pepper at this stage because my stock is pretty salty.
• Reduce the heat, cover tightly with a lid and cook at a gentle simmer for one and a half hours until the beef is tender.
• Stir in the cranberry sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Simmer it for a few minutes and serve with a huge dollop of creamy mashed potatoes.
• Happy Cooking!

RED WINE BRAISED BEEF SHANKS WITH ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• If the shanks have a white membrane around the outside, slit that membrane from top to bottom all around the meat to prevent curling during cooking.
• Season the beef shanks with salt and pepper.
• Dredge the beef shanks in the seasoned flour, coating each side completely.
• When the oil is hot, sear the beef shanks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until brown on all sides.
• Remove the shanks and set aside.
• Add the onions to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the celery, carrots and parsnips, and continue to saute for 1 minute.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the garlic and herbs.
• Cook for 1 minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping the bottom and sides to loosen the browned particles.
• Add the stock and mushrooms.
• Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Add the beef shanks and continue to cook for about 2-4 hours, basting the shanks often, or until the sauce is stew-like and the meat starts to fall off the bone.
• You can leave it to simmer on the stove, or put the whole pot into a 300 degree oven.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed.
• If sauce is not thick enough, add cornstarch mixed with sauce from stew.
• About half an hour before you are ready to serve, make the potatoes.
• Boil and drain the potatoes.
• Add seasonings and butter, then about 1/3 c half and half.
• Mash to desired consistency, adding more cream as necessary.
• To serve, mound garlic mashed potatoes in the center of the plate.
• Lay a beef shank beside the potatoes and spoon some of the gravy over the top.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve.