Merlot Beef Gravy Recipes

BEEF TIPS AND ARTICHOKES WITH MERLOT AND BLACK PEPPER GRAVY

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the wine to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the beef tips, steak seasoning, and peppercorns Bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the artichokes and peas and cook until heated through, about 4 more minutes. Serve hot. with Basil Mashed Potatoes.;
• Remove the plastic from the mashed potatoes. Microwave uncovered on high setting for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir. Return to microwave and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the pesto and chopped fresh basil. Serve hot.

FILET WITH A MERLOT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy sauce pan over high heat, combine wine, chicken broth and beef broth. Bring to a boil, and cook until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about an hour. (This can be prepared a day ahead - cover and refrigerate).
• In a small bowl, mix butter and flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper, and saute until medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a plate.
• Stir shallots, garlic and thyme into skillet. Add 2 cups reduced wine mixture to skillet. Bring mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Whisk in butter mixture until smooth. Boil sauce until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.

PRIME RIB ROAST WITH MERLOT GRAVY AND YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put beef, fat side up, in a shallow flameproof roasting pan. Sprinkle salt over top and season with pepper. Roast beef in lower third of oven 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. and roast beef 1 hour and 15 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat registers 115°F. Transfer beef to a cutting board, reserving pan juices in pan, and let stand 25 minutes. Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 125°. (medium-rare).
• Prepare vegetables while beef is roasting:
• Trim onions. Diagonally cut carrots and celery into think slices. Remove stems from mushrooms and cut each cap into 8 wedges. In a large skillet cook onions in 1 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer onions to a bowl and cook carrots and celery in remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until carrots are crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Transfer vegetables to bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• While beef is standing, skim fat from pan juices and reserve 4 tablespoons fat for Yorkshire puddings. (Puddings may be baked while beef is standing.) On top of stove add wine to roasting pan and simmer over moderately high heat, scrapping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add demiglace, jelly, horseradish, vegetables, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
• Discard string and with a sharp knife remove rib bones.
• Thinly slice beef and serve over Yorkshire puddings with gravy.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order from Citarella, (800) 588-0383.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
• Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.
• In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
• Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bullion and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
• Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
• In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms:Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.
• Place a colander over a large pot (I do this in my clean kitchen sink). Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbs
• Return the beef mixture back into the dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.
• Remove any fat off the sauce( if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
• You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
• If you are serving immediately, simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
• To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate.The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

MERLOT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add vinegar down side of pan (caramel will steam and harden). Cook caramel over moderate heat, stirring, until dissolved, about 3 minutes, and remove pan from heat.
• In a heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and boil until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in stock or demiglace and boil until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in caramel. Pour sauce through a sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce before serving.

MERLOT BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Prepare vegetables, keeping chopped onions aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour and pepper, set aside.
• In a measuring cup combine beef base with 1 cup hot water, set aside.
• In a dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Chop bacon, set aside.
• Cut beef into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks.
• Add beef to seasoned flour, toss to coat.
• Brown seasoned beef in two batches, placing first and second batches in a medium bowl.
• Add bacon to hot dutch oven, stirring until the fat is just turning golden brown.
• Remove and add to beef bowl.
• Add onions to dutch oven, reducing heat to medium.
• Stir often and keep an eye on them so they do not burn.
• When just golden add tomato paste, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
• Add the merlot, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
• Add the beef base with water, worcestershire, beef stock, dry french rub and stir well.
• Add prepared vegetables, stir well to coat.
• Add contents of the beef bowl, stir well to coat.
• Add bay leaves.
• Cover with a lid and place in oven.
• If your oven runs hot reduce heat to 275 degrees.
• Check stew at 3 hours, giving it a good stir.
• Add water if needed.
• Stir again at 4 hours, remove at 5 hours.
• Search out bay leaves and remove.

EASY BEEF GRAVY

Steps:

• Add one can of beef broth over medium heat and 1/4 cup cornstarch, mix using wire whisk. Add half stick of butter. Add 1/4 cup water or if available- skim foamy starch water from boiling potatoes with spoon and add about 4 tablespoons of this to pot. Add any meat drippings if available. Stir often. Add pepper. Cook to boil -- then simmer -- low -- salt to taste. using wire strainer- pour gravy into strainer over bowl or gravy boat. Serves 4-6.

MERLOT FILET MIGNON

Steps:

• In a small skillet, cook steaks in 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil over medium heat until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm., In the same skillet, add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. Add the cream, salt and remaining butter; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and butter is melted, 1-2 minutes. Serve with steaks.