Languedoc Beef Stew with Red Wine, Herbs, and Olives

Ingredients

2-1/4 lb thickly sliced braising or stewing beef
2 tablespoons flour
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1-1/4 cups Faugeres or other full-bodied fruity red wine
1/2 cup homemade or organic beef broth
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 thin strip of unwaxed orange zest
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup black olives
3 heaped tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slow-roasted Carrots

1 lb carrots
a pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Trim any excess fat from the beef, then cut the meat into large cubes. Put the flour in a shallow dish and season it with salt and pepper. Dip the cubes of beef in the flour to coat.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, add the beef, and saute on all sides until the meat is browned — you will need to do this in batches, adding extra oil as you go. Transfer the beef to a cast-iron casserole.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, add the onion, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened but not browned.
4. Add the garlic and tomato puree and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
5. Add 1 cup of the wine, the broth, herbes de Provence, orange zest, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then pour the sauce into the casserole.
6. Heat the casserole over medium heat and bring the sauce back to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer very gently for 2-1/2 to 3 hours until the meat is completely tender. Check the contents of the casserole occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid (add a little extra broth or water if it’s dry).
7. About two-thirds of the way through the cooking time, prepare the slow-roasted carrots. Cut the carrots into long, thick diagonal slices. Put the carrots, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large, shallow ovenproof dish, pour the oil over, and toss well. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes until the carrots are soft and their edges are caramelized.
8. About 30 minutes before the stew should be ready, stir in the olives. Just before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley and the remaining wine, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve with the slow-roasted carrots.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: Cooking with Wine

Hamburger with False Ketchup, Mustard and Onion

Ingredients

150 g ground beef
2 eggs
rocket leaves
olive oil
pepper
salt

False Ketchup

200 g red fruits
2-1/2 tbsp water

False Mustard

mustard powder or seeds
water

False Onion

1 pear

Method

1. To make the false ketchup, heat the water. When it starts to boil, add the fruit and cook until it softens. Liquidize this mixture to obtain a thin sauce and put aside.
2. To make the false mustard, mix the mustard and water in a blender to obtain a smooth paste. (This will have a strong taste, so do not use too much mustard.) Put aside.
3. To make the false onion, wash the pear, cut it in 4 and remove the seeds. Slice it thinly. (As pear flesh goes brown very quickly when exposed to the air, leave its preparation until the last moment.)
4. Mix the meat in a bowl with the eggs, salt, and pepper. Make a few balls and squash them so that they are 1 to 2 cm thick, depending on your taste.
5. Put a few drops of oil on a griddle and cook the hamburgers over high heat for about 2 minutes. If you prefer the meat well done, continue cooking over lower heat.
6. Finally, prepare the serving plate, put a hamburger in place and then put some pear slices on top of it. Put another hamburger on top, and then add some more pear slices. Accompany the dish with the mustard, ketchup, and rocket leaves.

Makes 1 serving.

Source: Paleo

Brisket Pot Roast with Heirloom Vegetables

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
One 3- to 3-1/4-pound first- or center-cut beef brisket
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
2/3 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 pound baby carrots, about 3 inches long
1 pound unpeeled fingerling potatoes or baby Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1-inch in diameter
8 ounces purple-topped turnips (3 or 4 turnips), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch wedges
8 ounces cipollini onions

Method

1. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir to blend. Dredge the brisket in the flour to coat evenly.
2. In a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the brisket, fatty-side down, and sear for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meat begins to brown. Turn and sear the other side for 4 to 5 minutes. The meat will shrink and curl during cooking. Transfer the meat to a plate.
3. Add the onion, tomatoes, and garlic to the pot and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Return the meat to the pot.
4. In a small bowl, stir the stock, wine, parsley, marjoram, and thyme together. Pour over the meat and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 1-1/2 hours.
5. Add the carrots, potatoes, and turnips to the pot and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
6. Add the cipollini onions and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
7. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and the vegetables to a serving platter. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to concentrate the flavors. No need to strain the sauce; it’s meant to be rustic, with bits of onions and herbs in it.
8. Carve the meat across the grain. Serve the pot roast with the vegetables and the pan gravy passed on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Lobel’s Prime Cuts

Steak and Three Baked Vegetables

Ingredients

1 (300 g) beef eye fillet steak
sea salt and cracked black pepper
aioli, to serve
1 large potato, peeled and sliced with a vegetable peeler
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced with a vegetable peeler
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced with a vegetable peeler
50 g butter, melted
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. To make the baked vegetables, place the potato, sweet potato and parsnip in separate bowls.
3. Divide the butter, parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper among the bowls and toss to combine.
4. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
5. Pile each vegetable into 2 flat piles. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crisp.
6. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the beef.
7. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper.
8. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Cook the beef for 3 minutes each side or until well browned.
9. Place steak on a baking tray and bake for 4 minutes for rare and 7-8 minutes for medium.
10. To serve, slice the beef in half and place on serving plates with the vegetables. Serve with aioli.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Fast, Fresh, Simple

Peruvian-style Beef and Green Bean Stir-fry

Ingredients

2-1/4 lb green or runner beans, cut diagonally into 1-1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
14 oz potatoes, cut into batons
14 oz beef tenderloin (fillet), cut into 1/2 x 1-3/4-inch strips
1 red onion, sliced
2 yellow chilies, seeded, membrane removed, and sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and sliced into half-moon crescents
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked white rice to serve

Method

1. Add the green beans to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 1 minute until just tender. Remove from the pan and plunge into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
2. Half-fill a large pan or deep-fryer with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F/180°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
3. Drop the potato batons carefully into the hot oil and cook until crispy and golden. Drain well on paper towels.
4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a very hot wok, add the beef strips and stir-fry until browned and medium-well done, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the onion, yellow chiles, green beans, and garlic and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, then finish by adding the tomatoes and chopped parsley. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve on plates with the fried potato batons and cooked white rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Peru – The Cookbook