Red Wine Braised Beef:
5lbs of Chuck or Short Ribs (I used a 50/50 combo of both) cut up in large chunks, not smaller cubes like in stew.
2 Cups mirepoix finely diced (small cubes) (celery, carrots, onions)
Fresh Herbs: Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Bayleaf (2)
Hard to measure the fresh herbs, but I used about a handful of each.
Bouquet Garnis*
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
3 Tbsp Flour
1 Bottle Red Wine
2 Cups Beef Stock
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
*Bouquet Garni is herbs in a sack usually made from cheese cloth. This is used in stews, soups and braised dishes so you don't get flecks of the herbs in your food.
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350F. In a dutch oven or oven safe pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on a most sides. It's not imperative you get crust every side of the chunks, but try the best you can. You want a nice crust for that flavor. Place on a baking sheet or platter. It's fine for them to rest while you start preparing the rest of the dish.
Step 2:
Add a two tablespoons of oil back to the pan over medium heat (you're not trying to caramelize them) and once heated, add the mirepoix and cook until softened and onions are translucent (not mushy). This could take different times depending on your pot and heat, but anywhere from five to ten minutes. Then add tomato paste and flour, stir for about two to three minutes until completely combined and gets a nice deep red color.
Step 3:
Add in wine and beef. Bring to a boil and then turn to medium-low, and cook until the wine reduces almost by half, around 25 minutes. Add beef stock and bouquet garnis. It's ok of not everything is completely submerged, but submerge as best you can. Cover pot, place on lower rack of oven and cook for two and half hours.
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