Hairy Bikers Braised Beef Food

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a roasting pan over high heat with the oil. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper. Add the ribs to the pan, then reduce the heat to medium. Sear on both the top and bottom of the meat, 2 to 3 minutes per side, reserving the pan drippings. After searing the ribs, add the stock, mirepoix, tomato paste, merlot, garlic and the reserved pan drippings to the pan. Tightly cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and check the ribs, which should be fork tender. If need be, continue cooking to achieve desired tenderness. Next remove the ribs and reserve the liquid to create sauce.
• Pour the reserved cooking liquid through a strainer, then discard the remaining vegetables. In a saucepan, blend the herbs and liquid over medium-high heat. Reduce the liquid by three-quarters, yielding 3 cups of sauce. Pass the reduced sauce through a strainer, then set aside and keep warm.
• For the potatoes: In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until softened, 15 to 18 minutes, then drain. Pass the potatoes and butter through a food mill or ricer into a bowl. Next add the salt and pepper, and then blend with a whisk. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
• To serve, place the mashed potatoes in the center of the plate, top with a short rib, and finish with the warm sauce. Repeat for the remaining short ribs.

BEER-BRAISED BRISKET POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Mix the stock cube with the tarragon and pepper in a small bowl. Rub over the brisket and season. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or roasting tin over a medium-high heat, add the brisket and brown well on all sides.
• Stir in the ale and beef extract, then tip in the sugar and onion flakes and add enough of the beef stock to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the brisket. Bring to the boil, cover and roast in the oven for 3 hrs, checking every 30 mins to see if the brisket is tender (but you may need to roast it for up to 5 hrs). Transfer the brisket to a board and leave to rest for 15 mins. Slice and serve with the stock spooned over and some steamed long stem broccoli on the side, if you like.