English Beef Braid Recipes

GRANDPA'S BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions, and garlic to the hot oil and sweat them until very soft and very light caramel in color, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan. Pat the meat dry and season very liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat to a deep brown all over, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and very thinly slice them lengthwise into planks. Slice the tomatoes working over a bowl to catch their juices.
• Arrange 1/2 the onions over top of the meat, season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme. Arrange 1/2 the potatoes over the onions and dress the potatoes with a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, salt, pepper, rosemary, and a handful freshly grated cheese. Top the potatoes with 1/2 the tomatoes and their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter a few leaves of torn basil. Repeat the layers. Do not add basil to the top layer of tomatoes.
• Cover the pan and roast the meat in the oven until very tender, 4 hours. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• To reheat: Reheat, covered, in a preheated 325 degree F oven until warmed through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Take off the lid of the pot, drizzle the top of the meat with oil, sprinkle with cheese, and broil to lightly crust the top. Cut down through the layers of the potatoes, tomatoes, and onions to portion the meat, serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread and pan juices.

ENGLISH BEEF BRAID

Steps:

• Cut off roots and trim leaf ends of leek. Separate leaves of leek; rinse under cold water to remove all sand. Then cut leek crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Coarsely chop apple and slice mushrooms. Set aside.
• In a 10-inch skillet over high heat, cook ground beef and curry powder, stirring frequently until ground beef just looses its pink color. With slotted spoon remove ground beef mixture to a large bowl.
• In drippings remaining in skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil if necessary. Cook leek, apple, and mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove leek mixture to bowl with beef mixture.
• Into drippings remaining in skillet, stir 1 tablespoon oil and flour until blended. Gradually stir in salt, bouillon, pepper, and water; cook, stirring until mixture boils and thickens; boil for 1 minute. Stir sauce and currants or raisins into beef mixture; set aside and cool. (you may want to place beef mixture into refrigerator to help it cool off, or you can make it a day ahead and proceed the next day).
• While meat mixture is cooling (or next day), thaw pastry as label directs (refer to note below).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Unfold pastry onto lightly floured surface; with floured rolling pin, roll pastry into 12" x 10x" rectangle. Place pastry onto a greased jelly roll pan. Spread beef filling in a 3" wide strip lengthwise down center. Cut pastry on both sides of filling crosswise into 1 1/2" wide strips to within 1/2" of filling. With pastry brush, brush edges of pastry with water. Place strips at an angle across filling, alternating sides for braided effect and making sure that end of each strip is covered by the next strip so strips stay in place as pastry bakes. Pinch last strip to bottom of braid to seal.
• Bake braid 25 - 30 minutes until pastry is golden and meat mixture is hot.
• To serve, cut into slices.
• NOTE: In order for puff pastry to keep it's puffiness, always keep it on the cold side. Therefore, it is vital to place your meat mixture when cold on the puff pastry. If you are planning on baking the beef braid at a later time, keep braid in the refrigerator and place it into the oven immediately upon removal from the refrigerator.

BEEF AND BEAN BRAID

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add butter, sugar, salt, egg and 1 1/2 cups flour; beat until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic salt over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in the beans, water and seasonings; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
• Punch dough down.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 16-inch by 11-inch rectangle.
• Transfer to a greased 15-inch by 10-inch baking sheet.
• Spread beef mixture down center of dough; sprinkle with cheese.
• On each long side, cut 1-inch wide strips about 1/2 inch from filling.
• Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling; seal ends.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, 30 minutes.
• Brush egg over dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove to wire rack; let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

BROCCOLI BEEF BRAIDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in broccoli, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper; heat through. , Unroll 1 tube of crescent dough onto a greased baking sheet; form into a 12x8-in. rectangle, pressing perforations to seal. Spoon half of the beef mixture lengthwise down center of rectangle., On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips at an angle, about 3 in. into the center. Fold 1 strip from each side over filling and pinch ends together; repeat., Repeat with remaining ingredients to make second braid. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

RICH BRAISED BEEF WITH MELTING ONIONS

Steps:

• Dust the beef in flour, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and fry for 5 mins. Add the sugar and cook for 5-10 mins, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelised. Stir in the garlic for the final few mins.
• Pour in the stock and stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Add the beef and mushrooms, then season, adding plenty of black pepper. Cover and cook gently for 2 hrs until the meat is tender. Can be chilled for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool and store in freezer bags. Thaw and reheat in a pan. Serve scattered with parsley.