Wine Braised Beef Over Polenta Food

SHORT RIB BOURGUIGNON OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve the rendered fat in the Dutch oven.
• Generously season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In the same Dutch oven, working in batches, brown the short ribs in the remaining bacon fat over high heat, then remove to a plate and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the Dutch oven.
• To the Dutch oven with the reserved fat, add the carrots and shallots. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until slightly darker, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Remove about half of the carrots and shallots, and reserve.
• To the Dutch oven, add the wine, beef broth, cognac, short ribs and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the beef is very tender, 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Bring the Dutch oven from the oven to the stovetop. Remove the bouquet garni, carrots and shallots and discard. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
• Using a fork, in a small bowl, cream together the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and flour, using your fingers if necessary to mix well. Stir the mixture into the stew. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
• Serve the ribs over creamy polenta along with the mushrooms and reserved carrots and shallots. Ladle some of the sauce over the top before serving.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the milk, then add the cornmeal gradually, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until the polenta is very thick, but is still creamy, 30 to 35 minutes. If the polenta becomes too thick, whisk in additional milk or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is the desired consistency (it should be about the consistency of porridge).
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter using a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

WINE BRAISED BEEF OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat.Season beef with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of beef and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to bowl using slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining beef in 4 more batches. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and Italian parsley to Dutch oven and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion and spice mixture. Add red wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer mixture 15 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Mix in olives and rosemary. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Add bell peppers, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) * I like adding carrots to this also.

BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS WITH POLENTA, COFFEE & WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy ovenproof pan or flameproof casserole dish, big enough to hold the beef cheeks, over a high heat. Dust the beef cheeks in the flour and fry on all sides until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the carrots, onion and bay, and fry until well coloured. Add the beer and let it simmer and reduce by three-quarters. Return the beef to the pan, cover with the stock and put the pan in the oven, covered. Leave to braise for 3 hrs 30 mins or until tender but not completely falling apart. Once cool, the cheeks can be chilled if making in advance.
• Pour the braising liquid through a sieve, return to the pan and put back on a high heat to reduce by half. Return the beef to the cooking liquid and leave to simmer over a low heat before serving.
• To make the polenta, heat the milk until steaming. Add the polenta, whisking continuously, and cook over a very low heat for 5 mins. Make sure to stir the polenta at regular intervals so that it doesn't stick or become lumpy. Add the coffee and 50g butter, season and keep stirring until smooth. Add a little water to loosen, if necessary.
• Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. When foaming, add the mushrooms and garlic, cook for 5 mins, then add the parsley. Cut the beef cheeks in half so that you have four even-sized pieces. Put a few generous spoons of polenta in the bottom of four deep bowls or plates. Put a piece of beef cheek on top and scatter the mushrooms around. Serve the remaining sauce in a jug on the side.

WINE-BRAISED BEEF OVER POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add only enough beef to cover the bottom of the pan without crowding. Brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to bowl using slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining beef, in batches, until all the beef is browned and transferred to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and Italian parsley to Dutch oven and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion and spice mixture. Add red wine and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer mixture 15 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Mix in olives and rosemary. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add bell peppers, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) POLENTA 9 c Water 1 1/2 tsp Salt 2 c Cornmeal Bring water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Continue whisking until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook cornmeal until thick and thoroughly cooked, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Transfer polenta to metal bowl. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set bowl over large saucepan of barely-simmering water. Stir occasionally.) To Serve: Bring beef to simmer, stirring occasionally. Spoon polenta into shallow soup bowls. Spoon beef over.