Braised Beef And Red Chiles Recipes

Steps:

• A day ahead, marinate the beef. Bring the wine to the boil in a large saucepan, then boil until reduced by a third to remove the alcohol (takes about 8-10 mins). Leave to cool for about 1 hr. Mix the beef steaks, carrots, celery, baby onions, garlic, crushed peppercorns and bouquet garni together in 1 or 2 large bowls, then pour the cooled red wine over them. Cover with cling film, put in the fridge and leave to marinate for 24 hrs.
• The next day, place a large colander over a large bowl and tip in the beef mixture to drain off the marinade. Leave for at least 1 hr to remove excess liquid.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sprinkle the flour on a baking sheet and cook for 8-10 mins until it has turned pale brown. Set aside. Reduce oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Separate the beef, vegetables and herbs and pat dry with kitchen paper. Reserve the marinade liquid. Season the beef with 4 pinches of salt. In a large, heavy-based casserole over a high heat, warm the clarified butter, then colour the beef steaks in it for 5-7 mins on each side - in batches if necessary. (To clarify butter, warm it gently in a small pan. The white milk solids will sink to the bottom, then you can carefully pour off the clear, clarified butter.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Add the drained vegetables to the casserole. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 mins until lightly coloured, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the toasted flour into the casserole and stir for a few secs. Pour in the marinade wine little by little, stirring constantly to incorporate it into the flour and until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add the beef and herbs, bring the sauce to the boil and skim if necessary. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hrs.
• To finish the sauce, place a colander (big enough to hold the meat and veg) over a large saucepan and drain off the cooking liquor from the casserole. Put the saucepan on a high heat and boil until the sauce has reduced by about half to make a lightly coating sauce. Skim if necessary. Taste the sauce. Do not add any salt as you will be adding the smoked ham or lardons later. Return the beef and vegetables to the casserole, then pour over the sauce (discarding the herbs).
• For the garnish, heat the butter over a high heat in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the mushrooms until lightly caramelised, adding a little more butter if necessary. Season to taste. Mix into the beef with the finely sliced ham or freshly fried lardons. Heat through, sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a small skillet over a medium heat, toast the star anise and fennel seed. Move the pan across the heat, letting the spices gently roll inside. Do that for about 3 to 4 minutes or until you begin to smell the toasting spices. Transfer into a spice mill or a coffee grinder. Add 5 of the chiles and grind until finely ground. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, rub with the spice blend, cover, and refrigerate while continuing with the recipe.
• Put the remaining 7 chiles in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside and let soak until the chiles have softened, about 30 minutes. When soft, reserve the chiles and 1 cup of the reconstituting water. Discard the rest of the water. In a blender, liquefy the chiles, the 1 cup reserved soaking water, and the sherry vinegar. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat and sear the brisket in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the brisket from the pan and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until they become translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and chile mixture and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brisket, cover, and braise in the oven until fork tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, skimming occasionally to remove excess fat.
• When done, slice and serve hot with the braising liquid alongside.
• To Drink
• The hot climate of southern Oregon produces one of my very favorite Spanish varietals, Tempranillo, which loves meat braised with tomatoes, ground chiles, and spices. The black-fruit flavors of this grape and the tannins stand up well to the braised beef. Two Oregon wineries, Abacela and Dominio IV, produce fine examples of this grape varietal. A companion choice would be a French Rhône wine from Chapoutier: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Saint Joseph, or Crozes-Hermitage. These wines have spice, smoke, and lingering tannins that speak to all the flavors of the brisket. -K.P.

Steps:

• Place beef in a large pot and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Add 1 onion half, 5 garlic cloves, bay leaves, and enough water to cover meat by 1 inch (8 to 10 cups). Bring to a boil, skimming impurities from surface. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender enough to easily pierce with the tip of a knife, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat broiler, with rack 6 to 8 inches below heating element. Arrange chiles on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil with oven door cracked open, turning once, until blistered in places on both sides, fragrant, and beginning to smoke, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to a saucepan. Arrange tomatoes and remaining onion half and garlic cloves on baking sheet. Broil, turning a few times, until blistered in places and beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer to saucepan with chiles; add enough water to just cover vegetables (4 to 5 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and transfer to a blender with reserved liquid, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, oregano, and 2 teaspoons salt. Purée until smooth.
• Transfer beef to a plate and strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids. Return beef to pot with 5 cups broth and puréed-chiles mixture (any remaining broth can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or frozen up to 6 months; if you'll be serving the dish as a soup, reserve and keep warm).
• Bring beef to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until beef is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Shred meat into bite-size pieces.
• To serve as a soup, add reserved warm broth to pot, a little at a time, to reach desired consistency (it should be soupy but still have some body to it). Scatter with chopped onion and cilantro and serve, topped with radishes and avocado, with lime wedges alongside.
• To make tacos, dip tortillas into chile broth, flipping to fully coat, and transfer to a plate, stacking them one on top of another. Fill each with about 1/3 cup shredded beef and a little more chile broth. Fold in half. Heat a generous slick of oil over medium-high in a large, heavy skillet, such as cast iron. When it shimmers, add tacos in a single layer and cook, flipping once (if browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium) until crisp and golden brown in places, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with chopped onion, cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges.