It's very rare that I have an entire day off so I thought I'd celebrate by cooking up a long cooking dish that could cook while I did other chores so I turned to my best friend-the braise. This time I wanted to try something brand new and braise some lamb shanks but when I got to the meat counter there was a sale on beef so lamb shanks are going to wait a bit.
I wanted to make this dish a little different so I made a really creamy and cheesy polenta. I tried to keep it light by using only a little cream, butter, and cheese but if you want it to be really luxurious load it up with that stuff haha.
I used a very similar braising liquid that I did for the short ribs a week or two ago. This time, to get more final sauce for the meat I used a little more liquid. I also push out all the liquid from the veggies and everything in the pot when I finaly strained it. After the meat was finished, I let it reest and cool in the liquid. Then I removed the meat to a platter and used a strainer and cheesecloth to take all the chuinks out of the liquid. Then I squeezed the cheesecloth filled with veggies to get out every last drop. Be careful when doing this because I squeezed too hard and got sauce all over me so take your time for this step.
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. chuck roast
Kosher salt
1 large Spanish onion or 2 small yellow onions, cut into 1-inch dice
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
3 tbs. tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
10 to 12 thyme branches tied together in a bundle
4 to 5 cups beef stock
4 bay leaves
Directions
1. Coat a large Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Brown well on all sides. This is an incredibly important step; do not rush it.
2. Meanwhile, chop the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and set aside.
3. Remove the roast from the pan to a platter. Discard the excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Saute the veggies until they are very brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. The brown veggies should form a sort of crust on the bottom of the pan, do not let this burn; it is where a lot of the flavor is! Don't rush this step either, since this is where you will develop the brown color and flavor.
4. Add the tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, beef stock, and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the liquid has reduced by about half.
5. Add the roast back to the pot and pour in more wine and stock until the beef is covered. Add the bay leaves to the pan, cover and leave on the stove over very low heat. The cooking time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
6. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the roast over. Check the roast every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water. Defat as you go.
7. Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for maximum browning. When the roast is done the meat should be incredibly tender and flavorful. Transfer to plates with creamy polenta and garnish with strained sauce.
CREAMY POLENTA
Ingredients
2 2/3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 cups yellow cornmeal or polenta
1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup milk or cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, and parsley. Stir until the butter and cheese have melted.
4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
No comments:
Post a Comment