Bittmans Beef Braised With Sweet White Wine Recipes

BEEF BRAISED IN SWEET WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Add 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over med-high heat; wait a minute or so and when the oil is hot, add the beef.
• Brown the beef well on both sides, about 10 minutes, adjusting heat so the meat browns but does not burn.
• Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper as it browns.
• Transfer meat to a plate; decrease heat to medium.
• Add the remaining oil and vegetables to the skillet; stir once, then cover.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions are browned, dry, and almost sticking to the pan.
• Uncover, then add the wine and stir.
• Add in the meat and cover again.
• Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but not violently and cook until the meat is tender (this may be as short as 90 minutes or as long as 3 hours).
• Transfer meat to a cutting board; let it rest for a couple of minutes.
• Taste and adjust the sauce seasoning; you should be able to taste the pepper.
• If the mixture is very thin (unlikely), boil it down for a few minutes, as needed.
• Carve the meat and serve it with the sauce spooned over it.

WINE-BRAISED BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Generously season brisket with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear brisket until browned, 4 to 5 minutes a side; transfer to a plate. Drain fat from pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, shallots, garlic, and potato starch and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add broth, mustard, zest, and thyme; bring to a boil. Add meat and any accumulated juices. Cover and transfer to oven; cook 2 hours, 15 minutes.
• Flip meat over; add vegetables. Cover and continue to cook until everything is very tender, about 45 minutes. (If you're saving it for the next day, let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Reheat, covered, in a 350 degrees oven until warmed through, about 40 minutes.)
• Transfer vegetables to a platter and meat to a cutting board; season with salt. Skim fat from liquid in pot. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Slice brisket against the grain and serve, with vegetables and sauce.

WINE-BRAISED BRISKET WITH TART CHERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Whisk together matzoh meal with 1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoons fine) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pat brisket dry and dredge in matzoh mixture, shaking off excess.
• Set roasting pan across 2 burners and in it heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Brown brisket (fat side down first if using first cut) on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter or rimmed baking sheet.
• If necessary, add remaining tablespoon oil, then reduce heat to medium, and cook shallots, turning occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, then stir in chicken stock, cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, star anise, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt). Bring to a simmer and return brisket, fat side up, to pan. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil, and braise in oven for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, blanch carrots in a 3-quart pot of well-salted boiling water. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
• Add carrots to roasting pan (after meat has braised for 2 hours), then cover again tightly with foil, and continue to braise in oven, until meat is fork-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
• If serving soon, transfer meat to a cutting board and let it rest, loosely covered, 15 minutes, then slice meat across the grain. Skim off any excess fat from surface of sauce, then discard star anise, and season to taste with salt. Reheat sauce, then return sliced meat to sauce to reheat before serving. Serve meat with sauce and carrots on a large deep platter. (If making brisket ahead, see Cooks' Notes.)