Oven-cooked Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients

one 4-pound boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, or as needed
4 large sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1-1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
12 ounces cherry tomatoes (preferably assorted colors)
3/4 cup pitted green olives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for about 12 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to a bowl.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon,for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
6. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute.
7. Stir in the broth, thyme, and rosemary.
8. Return the beef to the pot and scatter the potatoes, tomatoes, and olives around it. You should have enough liquid to cover all but about the top 1 inch of the beef. Add broth or water if needed. Bring to a simmer over high heat, cover tightly. T
9. Move the pot to the oven. Bake for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, turning the beef over after the first 1-1/2 hours, or until it is just tender. Uncover and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender.
10. Remove from oven and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
11. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef, vegetables, and olives to a platter. Gently pull the beef into large chunks along its natural separations. Cover the beef, vegetables, and olives with aluminum foil to keep warm.
12. Skim off the fat that has risen to the surface of the cooking liquid and remove and discard the herb stems. Bring the liquid to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
13. Return the beef, vegetables, and olives to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, or just until reheated.
14. Divide the beef, vegetables, and olives among six dinner plates. Spoon a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid over each serving. Pour the remaining cooking liquid into a sauceboat. Serve hot, with the cooking liquid on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Curtis Stone What’s for Dinner?

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Pasta with Long-simmered Meat Sauce from Bologna

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 thick slice rindless pancetta, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
8 oz ground sirloin
8 oz ground veal
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 cups canned Italian tomatoes and juice, strained
1 tablespoon tomato puree
a bundle of herbs (sprigs of parsley tied with 1 bay leaf and 1 sprig rosemary)
1-2/3 lb fusilli
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet, add the pancetta, and saute until the fat starts to run.
2. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is soft and golden, about 25-30 minutes.
3. Add the ground meats and cook only until they lose their color.
4. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates.
5. Add the milk and cook until it evaporates.
6. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, and bundle of herbs and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer very, very slowly, partly covered with a lid, for 4-5 hours (the longer the better), stirring occasionally.
7. Add a little extra water toward the end of the cooking time to prevent the sauce from sticking, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with the remaining olive oil and 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Add 1 ladle of sauce per person and toss well. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Noodles and Pasta

Korean-inspired Pizza with Bulgogi Beef and Kimchi

Ingredients

Bulgogi Beef

1/4 lb beef, thinly slice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup pear puree
2 tsp chilli powder
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp olive oil

Spicy Mayonnaise

1/2 cup sriracha
1 cup mayonnaise

Pizza

13-inch pizza dough
1/2 cup spicy mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup bulgogi beef
1/2 cup red onions, chopped
1/2 cup green peppers, sliced
2 Tbsp spicy mayonnaise
1/4 cup kimchi
1/8 cup green onions
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. To make the bulgogi beef, combine all ingredients in a bowl until marinade is well mixed. Add beef slices to marinade, cover and refrigerate, 2 hours to 1 day.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil over medium high heat.
3. Cook the marinated meat in a single layer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. to make the spicy mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha sauce, and mix until evenly blended. Set aside.
5. Sheet out pizza dough onto 13-inch pan.
6. Spread spicy mayonnaise evenly onto dough, then sprinkle on mozzarella cheese, and top with bulgogi beef, green peppers and red onions.
7. Bake at 425°F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest for 5 minutes. Add kimchi, green onions and finish with white sesame seeds before serving.

Makes 1 (13-inch) pizza.

Source: ciao!

Risotto with Lemony Veal Scalloppini

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
generous 1-3/8 cups risotto rice
scant 1 cup dry white wine
1 lb veal scallops, beaten thin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp water
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
salt and pepper
thinly pared rind of 2 lemons, to garnish

Method

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a pan, then reduce the heat and keep simmering gently over low heat while you are cooking the risotto.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally. for 5 minutes, or until soft and turning golden. Do not brown.
3. Reduce the heat, add the rice, and mix to coat in oil and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2- 3 minutes, or until the grains are translucent.
4. Add 2/3 cup of the wine and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until reduced.
5. Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time. Stir constantly and add more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition. Increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles. Cook for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy. Season to taste.
6. Sprinkle the remaining oil over the veal. Rub in the herbs and salt and pepper.
7. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat and brown the veal quickly, turning once. Pour over the lemon juice, remaining wine, and the water.
8. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and let simmer gently for 15 minutes.
9. When the meat is cooked through, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with lemon rind.
10. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter. Mix well, then stir in the Parmesan until it melts. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and serve at once with the veal.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Risotto

Hamburger with Truffled Beef and English Muffin

Ingredients

1 fresh black truffle (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 pounds ground beef chuck or ground sirloin (22 percent fat if using a charcoal grill, or only 18 percent fat if using a flat-top griddle or heavy skillet)
about 1 teaspoons salt
about 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 English muffins, split
vegetable oil for brushing on cooking surface
3 tablespoons butter

Method

1. Finely chop the truffle. Stir one fourth of it into the mayonnaise, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours.
2. In a bowl, lightly mix the remaining chopped truffle into the beef by hand. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours, so that the truffle perfume permeates the meat.
3. Season the truffled burger meat with salt and pepper to taste. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, divide the beef into 4 equal portions and form the portions into patties, making neat edges, to fit the muffins.
4. In a grill, prepare a hot fire for direct-heat cooking, or preheat a heavy skillet or griddle until very hot.
5. When the grill rack, skillet, or griddle is ready, brush it with vegetable oil. Grill or pancook the patties until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes, seasoning them a little more with salt and pepper on the outside as they cook. With a wide spatula, turn the patties and cook until done to preference, about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare.
6. Meanwhile, toast or grill the muffins, then butter each half.
7. Transfer the burgers to the bottom halves of the muffins. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the truffled mayonnaise on top of each burger and cover them with the muffin tops.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: James McNair’s Burgers