Boeuf A La Mode Beef And Vegetables In Red Wine Recipes

BOEUF à LA MODE

Steps:

• A day before cooking, salt the roast very well with kosher salt, at least twice as well as you feel comfortable doing. Season with the other spices, trying to distribute them more or less evenly. Use the full teaspoon of nutmeg if you like the flavor of nutmeg, the half if you are skeptical. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Bring the roast to room temperature before cooking. Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy casserole, brown the roast on all sides in hot olive oil over medium heat. It should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove roast to a plate. Deglaze the pan with the onion, carrot, celery and tomato paste, and stir well, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and the wine and cognac. Cook over high heat, boiling until reduced by half. Add the roast, pig's foot, bouquet garni, bay leaves, mushrooms and enough beef stock to cover roast about halfway up. Cook in oven, covered, 3 to 4 hours, until totally tender.
• If you are serving the following day, allow to cool overnight in its broth in the refrigerator. Then remove the fat that has settled on top, remove the roast, warm all the braising juices, the pig's foot and the vegetables, and then strain it through a fine sieve, so that only the glossy broth remains. If you are serving it the day you cook it, remove the finished roast, strain the broth and then skim the fat the best you can from its surface with a ladle.
• Taste the broth. If it tastes too acidic - as it may or may not, depending on your taste and on the wine used - add up to another cup or 2 of beef broth. The foot will have given it enough body to withstand being thinned. Do any other adjusting of seasoning you like. Remove the twine from the roast, and return it to its broth until ready to reheat and serve.
• Then reheat the boeuf in its flavorful sauce, remove to a cutting board and cut into thick slices, pouring sauce over all of them, and serving more at the table. Serves 6, heartily.
• I like this best with a big handful of gremolata, the Italian condiment, on top. It is not at all French, and not at all how this is traditionally served. But it is very delicious. To make it, combine the chopped parsley, finely chopped lemon zest and finely chopped garlic in a bowl, and add a very small pinch of coarse salt.

BOEUF A LA MODE (BEEF AND VEGETABLES IN RED WINE)

Steps:

• Cut the beef into one-and-a-half-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Scrape and trim vegetables onto a sheet of wax paper. When finished, the paper may be gathered up and discarded in one fell swoop.
• Using a paring knife, peel the onion. Cut it into three-quarters-of-an-inch cubes. There should be about one cup.
• Trim off the ends of the carrots with a paring knife. Using a swivel-bladed paring knife, scrape the sides of the carrots. Using the chef's knife, cut the carrots into one-and-a-half-inch lengths. Cut the lengths into quarters. There should be about one and a half cups.
• Using a regular paring knife, cut off the stems and opposite ends of the turnips. Using a swivel-bladed paring knife, peel the turnips. Cut the turnips into quarters. Cut each quarter in half. There should be about two cups.
• Using a paring knife, peel the garlic. Using a chef's knife, mince it fine.
• Using a chef's knife, cut the celery lengthwise into quarters. Cut the strips into one-and-a-half-inch lengths. There should be about one cup.
• Gather the parsley, thyme and bay leaf into a bundle. Tie it with string.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet (for example, a five-quart skillet 11 1/2 inches in diameter).
• When the oil is extremely hot and almost smoking, add the beef pieces one cube at a time. As the meat browns on one side, turn the pieces, scraping them from the bottom with a wooden spoon or turning them with a two-pronged fork. While browning the meat the heat should be kept as high as possible. The browning should take about five minutes.
• When the beef cubes are browned all over, add the onions and garlic and stir to blend. The beef will give up some liquid. Continue cooking over high heat, stirring often, about three minutes.
• Use the skillet lid, partly cover and pour off the fat from the skillet. Sprinkle with flour and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the cubes evenly.
• Add the wine and water and stir until flour is blended with the liquid. Add the tied bundle of herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Cover closely and cook over moderate heat one hour.
• Meanwhile, put the turnips, carrots and celery in a small saucepan (a five-cup saucepan is suitable) and add water to cover. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Let cook about one minute. Drain in a colander.
• Add the vegetables to the stew. Cover closely and continue cooking 30 minutes. Add the Cognac and serve piping hot with rice or boiled buttered potatoes.

BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the red wine, beef stock, brandy, onion, carrots, garlic, parsley sprigs, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, and bay leaf and stir well. Add the beef and stir. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Drain the beef and reserve the marinade and vegetables separately. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Set the beef and vegetables aside.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Remove the outer rind of the slab bacon. Cut the bacon into lardons: 1 inch long strips about 1/4- inch thick. In a small saucepan, cover the lardons and the rind with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the lardons and rind, pat them dry, and reserve both.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook, stirring, until crisp and their fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lardons to paper towels to drain.
• Season the beef with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, and shake off any excess.
• Raise the heat to high and, working in batches, brown the beef. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and return to high heat. Add the reserved vegetable mixture and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 5 minutes.
• Return all of the browned beef to the pot. Add the reserved marinade liquid, and reserved bacon rind. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the stew to the oven and cook, covered, until the beef is very tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the stew from the oven. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Return the beef and strained broth to the Dutch oven with the lardons.
• Put the pearl onions in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter and the sugar. Cover the onions with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the onions over medium-high heat until almost tender. Raise heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid to about 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook the onions, shaking the pan over the heat, until the onions are golden brown and glazed. Transfer the onions to the stew.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms, tossing often, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the stew.
• In a small bowl, cream together the tablespoon of softened butter with the tablespoon of flour. Roll the mixture into pea-sized pieces.
• Bring the stew to a simmer and, while stirring gently, add enough beurre manie, bit by bit, to lightly thicken the sauce.
• Divide the stew among 6 shallow soup plates and garnish each with a crouton. Serve immediately with pasta or boiled potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush both sides of the bread with the butter and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons until golden brown. Dip the edges of the bread in the stew to moisten; then in parsley to lightly coat the edges.
• Yield: 6 croutons

BOEUF À LA MODE (BEEF BRAISED IN RED WINE)

Steps:

• * Combine 1 cup each thinly sliced carrots, onions and celery, 2 halved cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 cup minced parsley and 2 whole cloves. Place half the vegetables and herbs in the bottom of an enameled, pyrex or porcelain bowl. Rub the meat with the salt and pepper and place it on top of the vegetables. Place the remainder of the vegetables on top of the meat. Combine five cups burgundy wine, 1/3 cup brandy and 1/2 cup olive oil. Pour over the meat and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning a number of times.Half an hour before cooking, drain the meat and rack. Just before browning dry it with a paper towel.Add 4 to 6 tablespoons cooking oil to a heavy roaster. Heat, then add meat and brown on all sides. Pour out the browning fat. Pour in the wine marinade and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced by half. Add one or two cracked veal knuckles, (optional), 4 to 8 ounces rind, then pour in enough beef stock (made from beef stock base) or bouillon to come two-thirds of the way up the beef. (4 - 6 cups). Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, skim, cover and place in a 350° preheated oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Turn the meat several times during braising. When beef is done, remove to a large serving platter and keep warm.Skim the fat off the braising juices and strain through a sieve into a saucepan. Boil rapidly until liquid is reduced to about 3 1/2 cups. Taste for seasoning. Combine 1 tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons burgundy wine and stir into sauce for thickening. Then add carrots and onions (preparation of carrots and onions follows) and simmer for a few minutes. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange around meat. Garnish with parsley. Pour some of the sauce over the meat and serve the rest in a heated sauce boat.To cook carrots, place 2 to 3 pounds thickly sliced carrots in a saucepan with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and boil until carrots are tender.To cook onions, place 2 pounds small onions in a skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, then remove from skillet and braise in 1/2 cup beef stock or canned bouillon and a herb bouquet of 4 sprigs of parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in a cheesecloth. Simmer slowly until onions are tender but retain their shape.When adding the carrots and onions to the beef sauce do not add the liquids from the vegetables.To hold meat for some time, slice, then pour on some sauce, cover with foil and place in a very low oven.Boeuf À La Mode may be served with buttered noodles, parslied potatoes or rice, and buttered green peas.

MODERN BOEUF A LA MODE

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of meat with kosher salt. Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Lay meat on rack and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Bring wine to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs and bay leaves into a bouquet garni.
• Pat beef dry and season generously with pepper. Tie each piece of meat with kitchen twine to keep it from falling apart.
• Place oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat to 300°F.
• Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain off all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat. Return Dutch oven to medium-high heat until fat begins to smoke. Add beef to pot and brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer beef to large plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onion. Sauté onion 2-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic, flour and reserved bacon; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reduced wine, broth and bouquet garni. Scrape bottom of pan to release fond. Return meat and any accumulated juices to pot. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a simmer. Place a large piece of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Move pot into oven. Turn meat with tongs every hour, until dinner fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Add carrots to pot after 2 hours of cooking.
• Meanwhile, bring onions, butter, sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover tightly and cook until onions are tender, 5-8 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook until all liquid evaporates, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 tsp table salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and glazed, 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin powder over surface.
• Transfer beef to cutting board when fully cooked; tent with foil. Allow braising liquid to settle for 5 minutes, then skim fat off surface with wide, shallow spoon. Remove bouquet garni and stir in onion-mushroom mixture. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 3 1/4 cups, 20-30 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Add gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
• Remove kitchen twine and discard. Carve meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices against the grain. Divide meat among warmed bowls or transfer to platter. Arrange vegetables around meat, pour sauce on top, sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately.
• *To prepare in advance:* follow recipe through step 10, but skip the gelatin step. Place the meat back in the sauce, cool to room temperature and refrigerate up to 2 days. Slice the beef and arrange in a 13x9" baking dish. Soften the gelatin, bring the sauce to a simmer and add the gelatin. Pour the warm sauce over the meat, cover with foil and bake at 350F until heated through, about 30 minutes.