Tag Archives: Beef

Provencal White Wine Beef Daube

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Ingredients:

  •  4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil;
  •  2 tablespoons of brandy, eau-de-vie or Cognac
  •  6 pounds of boneless stewing beef, such as round, shin, blade or chuck, cut into 3-ounce chunks;
  •  Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
  •  2 thinly sliced large onions;
  •  4 peeled and thickly sliced carrots;
  •  4 ounces of trimmed and thickly sliced mushrooms;
  •  1 head of separated garlic cloves smashed and peeled;
  •  Grated zest of 1 orange;
  •  2 ripe tomatoes chopped or cup canned tomato purée;
  •  2 bottles of white wine;
  •  1 bouquet garni (1 small bunch of fresh parsley, 6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves, tied to gather or bundled and cheese cloth);
  •  1/2 to 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns;
  •  1/4 of chopped fresh parsley for garnish; and,
  •  Small pasta, such as orzo, mezze, penne or conchiglie for serving.

Preparations:

 In a large bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cognac, the beef and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for two hours.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325°.

 In a wide, heavy casserole with a tight-fitting lid, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium – high heat until it simmers. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, orange zest and 2 big pinches of salt; stir well to coat and heat through. Reduce heat to low, cover and sweat (cook without browning) for 8 to 10 minutes until onions and garlic are softened. Add beef and its marmalade, tomatoes, wine, bouquet garni and peppercorns. Stir to combine.

 Cover and bake in the center of the oven until meat is ultra-tender, about 3 to 4 hours. There is no need to start a baste but check from time to time to make sure the liquid is at a very gentle simmer; boiling will make the meat tough.

 When the stew is ready, adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Or, refrigerate overnight or longer, skim any harden fat from the top, and reheat before serving.

Rigatoni con Ragù alla Napoletana (Gravy and Braciola)

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  • Ingredients
  • 4 slices of beef, preferably rump steak (about 6 ounces each, sliced or pounded thin, to about 1/4″)
  • 4 slices bacon or pancetta
  • 4 slices salami (Genoa or other Italian variety)
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 ounces Pecorino, Parmigiano or provolone cheese, grated or cut in small pieces
  • 1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 28-ounce cans Italian peeled tomatoes, puréed
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound rigatoni (or penne)

Instructions

Boil the eggs until hard. Let cool, cut into small pieces, set aside. Finely chop the salami, garlic, and parsley and mix together.

Pat dry the beef slices. Lightly salt and pepper the top side of each. Line them up on a work surface. Place a slice of bacon on the center of each. Evenly spread the salami mixture on top of the bacon, evenly distribute the egg and cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Starting with the narrower end ([of the beef)], carefully roll up each slice, tightly, and fasten with tooth picks.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the braciola, carefully turning until each side is lightly brown. Add the wine and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 2 hours, stirring, frequently and carefully.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta until al dente (about 2 minutes less than the package directions), drain, and add to a serving bowl, lightly coat with ragu. Serve immediately with additional sauce and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.

Serve the braciola on a separate platter.

BEEF STEW – DIJON AND COGNAC

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  • ¼ pound of diced salt pork;
  • 1 large finely diced onion;
  • 3 Chopped shallots;
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons of butter, as needed;
  • 2 Pounds of beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes;
  • 2 Tablespoons of flour;
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
  • 4 Tablespoons of butter, as needed;
  • ½ Cup of Cognac;
  • 2 Cups of beef stock;
  • ½ Cup of Dijon mustard;
  • 4 tablespoons of Pommery mustard;
  • 4 Large carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices;
  • ½ Pound of mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered; and
  • ¼ Cup of red wine.

Place salt pork in a Dutch oven or a large heavy kettle over a low heat, and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon, and discard. Raise heat, and add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl.

If necessary, add 2 tablespoons of butter to pan to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour, and place half the cubes in the pan. Cook over a medium – high heat until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef.

Add Cognac to the empty pan, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of Pommery mustard. Whisk to blend, and then return meat and onion mixture to the pan. Lower heat, cover pan partway, and simmer gently until meat is tender, about 1 &1/2 hours. Add carrots, and continue simmering for 30 minutes, or until slices are tender. As they cook, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over a medium-high heat, and sauté the mushrooms until browned and tender. Stir mushrooms into stew with remaining mustard and red wine. Simmer 5 minutes, then taste, adjusting seasoning. Serve hot.

 

BEEF TENDERLOIN

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  • 1 beef tenderloin (3-4 pounds)
  • Frozen lemon juice
  • Lawry’s season salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Butter
  • Kitchen Bouquet

Pour 3 T. frozen lemon juice over tenderloin and let sit for 1 hour.  Pour off lemon juice.  Sprinkle Lawreys to cover all sides of tenderloin.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Let sit.  Melt ½ stick of butter.  Stir butter and 2 T. Kitchen Bouquet together.  Spoon or brush mixture over meat.  Cover completely.  Cover pan with saran wrap and aluminum foil.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove from refrigerator an hour or so prior to cooking.  Bake uncovered in low sided pan.  Do NOT preheat oven.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees for rare or to 140 degrees on a meat thermometer.

TACO ROLL

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  • 2 tubes crescent refrigerator rolls
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pkg Taco seasoning
  • 1 ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • 1 or 2 diced tomatoes
  • ½ small can of olives – black, green or both
  • Avocado
  • Sour cream

Separate rolls and lay in a circle with pointed ends out on a foil lined pizza pan sprayed with Pam.  Make the center thicker with any extra dough.  Brown meat (I put a little onion in), drain, and add Taco seasoning and 1/3 to ½ cup of water.  Spread meat mixture in a circle on the dough, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.  Pull dough points over the meat and cheese mixture and tuck in the center.  This now looks like a ring of dough with slits showing meat every few inches.  Back at 350 for 30 minutes.  Add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, avocado, rest of cheese and sour cream to middle or serve in a separate dish to spoon over Taco slices.

VEAL ROAST

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  • Veal tenderloin (boned loin), about 5 pounds

  • Olive oil

  • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

  • 2 cans (6 oz each) tomato sauce

  • 1 cup of Greek black pitted olives

  • 2 T. fresh (or 1 ½ t. dried) basil

  • ½ cup sherry or Marsala

Rub veal well with 4 T. olive oil and a bit of the garlic and basil and salt and pepper. Place in baking dish.  Combine tomato sauce, remaining garlic and basil and olives and pour around veal.  Add 2 T. olive oil.  Roast at 325 degrees for approximately 1 ½ hours.  Baste twice during this time.  Add sherry or Marsala and continue cooking until veal is tender. 

OSSO BUCCO MILANESE

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  • 4 T. butter

  • 1 ½ cup chopped onions

  • ½ cup finely chopped carrots

  • ½ cup finely chopped celery

  • 1 clove garlic minced

  • 6-7 pounds veal shanks

  • 1 ½ t. salt

  • ½ t. pepper

  • ¼ cup flour

  • ½ cup olive oil, divided

  • 1 cup dry white wine   

  • ¼ cup beef or chicken stock

  • ½ t. dried basil

  • ½ t. dried thyme

  • 3 cups canned tomatoes, drained, coarsely chopped

  • 6 springs of parsley

  • 2 bay leaves

In a heavy shallow casserole melt butter.  Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Cook medium heat 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper. Dust with flour (I shake in a plastic bag).  Heat 6 T. olive oil in heavy skillet.  Add veal pieces to brown.  Add more oil if
needed.  Place browned pieces over vegetables in casserole.  Drain all but
small amount of fat from skillet.  Add wine.  Boil briskly over high heat until
reduced to ½ cup.  Stir in stock, spices, tomatoes, parsley and bay leaves.  Bring
mixture to boil.  Pour over veal.  Veal should be half submerged in liquid.  Add more stock if needed.  Bake 60-75 minutes basting occasionally.

VEAL MARENGO

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¼ cup olive oil

2 ½ # lean boneless veal cut in small bite sized pieces

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup white vermouth

1 cup beef broth

1   16 oz can Italian plum tomatoes drained

1 clove garlic minced

Salt and pepper

1 small bay leaf

Pinch of thyme

¼ cup butter

½ # pearl onions peeled

½ # mushrooms

1 T. flour

¼ cup cold water

Heat oil, brown veal. Remove veal and sauté onion.
Return veal to pan.  Add next 7 ngredients and bring to boil.  Cover and
simmer for 45 minutes.  Heat butter in a killet.  Brown onions and
mushrooms.  Add to mean mix and simmer 15 inutes more.  Stir together flour and water until smooth and stir into boiling mixture.  Cool until thick.  Pour sauce over meat and serve.

NEOPOLITAN LEG OF VEAL

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Rub a leg of veal with cut garlic.  Insert garlic in slits in the veal.  Sprinkle the surface with:

  • 1 t. oregano

  • 2 t. salt

  • ½ t. pepper

  • 1 t. parsley

  • 2 T. grated Romano cheese

Drizzle ¼ cup melted butter and 1 cup of crushed tomatoes over veal.
Roast at 300 degrees for 35 minutes per pound.  Baste often – even drizzle with more melted butter.  Keep adding hot water or stock to drippings to keep them from sticking.

SLOPPY JOES

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  • 1 ½ # ground chuck

  • 1 T. butter

  • 1/3 cup onion chopped

  • 2 T. brown sugar

  • 2 T. vinegar

  • 1 t. mustard

  • 2 T. Worcestershire sauce

  • ¼ t. salt

  • 1 cup catsup

  • 1 cup water

Brown chuck with onion in butter.  Add rest and simmer for 30 minutes.