Braised Beef With Garden Vegetables And Herbs Recipes

BRAISED BEEF WITH GRAVY-LIKE SAUCE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Start preheating the oven to 350F.
• If you like garlic and want to add a couple of full heads, it's a creamy deliciousness once cooked, do as follows. Remove as much loose skin as you can. Cut off about a quarter to one third from one end. Garlic heads will go in the braising pan later, while some of the cut off pieces can be used in this recipe in place of the two required garlic cloves and the rest can be saved for other uses.
• Heat the olive oil with two tablespoons of butter in a braising pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the braising pan and set aside.
• Add the onions, mushrooms, shallots, carrots and leeks. Saute until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue sauteing for another minute.
• Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and let it melt, while constantly stirring. Turn the heat down to low. Have the broth ready. Add the flour and stir briskly until it is fully incorporated. Pour in the broth, turn the heat up to medium high and let the liquid mixture come up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, constantly stirring, until the mixture starts to thicken. It shouldn't take long, less than a minute. Remove from heat.
• Add the pepper and nutmeg, stir, then salt to taste. Stir in the red wine vinegar. The sauce may taste a little too tart right after you add the vinegar, but it will be perfect by the time it's done cooking.
• Nestle beef pieces and garlic heads, if using, in the sauce, spreading them out evenly. If using, place the garlic bulbs cut side up. Garlic smell can be quite strong, so add those bulbs only if you love garlic and have a good ventilation in the kitchen. If you place it cut side down, the sauce will get infused with garlic too much.
• Cover and braise in the oven at 350F for 3-4 hours. I think the beef only gets better if cooked a little longer.
• Serve with freshly made mashed potatoes, garnish with chopped fresh herbs, and enjoy.

BRAISED BRISKET AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. In a Dutch over medium-high heat, brown the brisket in the olive oil on both sides for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Add the onions, carrots and parsnips and saute for a minute or so until slightly browned. Add the broth, wine, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and tomato paste and stir together. Put the brisket on top and place the whole bunches of rosemary and thyme around the brisket. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 5 hours.
• Remove the brisket from the pot and cover it in foil to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the herbs from the sauce and skim off any fat from the top. Slice the meat and return it to the pot to warm up. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large stovetop-safe roasting pan over medium heat. Add the brisket and cook, turning with tongs, until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onions, garlic and thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and 1/2 cup water, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with the juices from the can, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Return the beef to the pan along with any accumulated juices; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
• Remove the roasting pan from the heat and add the potatoes, carrots and parsnips around the sides of the brisket. Tightly cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and roast until the brisket is very tender and a fork will easily pierce it, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and the vegetables to a large serving platter. Cover and keep warm. Skim the fat from the top of the juices in the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce has reduced by more than half and is similar to a thick gravy, 15 to 20 minutes. Slice the brisket against the grain and transfer to the platter with the vegetables. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and spoon a bit over the slices. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.