Merlot Braised Beef Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Meanwhile, pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Brown meat in hot oil on all sides, about 10 minutes total. (If bottom of pot begins to scorch, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to a plate using a fork and tongs.
• Add pancetta to oil in pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sauté, stirring, until garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer, then return meat along with any juices accumulated on plate to pot. Cover pot with lid and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board. Skim fat from surface of sauce and discard along with herb stems. Boil sauce until reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes, then season with salt. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and return to sauce.

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine beef, sliced onion, celery, garlic, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, juniper berries, wine, thyme and pepper; cover and marinate in refrigerator doe 12 to 24 hours.
• Remove beef; sprinkle with flour and set aside.
• Strain marinade through sieve into bowl, pressing solids; set marinade aside.
• In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown beef in batches.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Add 1 tbsp butter to pan.
• Stir in sugar, cook until deep nutty brown.
• Stir in reserved marinade and stock, averting eyes to avoid splatters.
• Add beef, carrots and salt; cover and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours.
• Meanwhile, in skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat; cook pearl onions until browned, 12 minutes.
• With slotted spoon, transfer to stew.
• Add mushrooms to skillet; simmer for 10 minutes.
• Serve sprinkled with parsley.
• Popovers-----------------.
• In bowl, whisk egg with milk; stir in flour and salt until blended but still lumpy.
• Spoon into well-buttered jumbo muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
• Place in center of cold oven.
• Heat oven to 450F; bake for 25 minutes.
• With skewer, puncture each popover; bake for 10 minutes or until puffed.
• (Make ahead; Let cool; cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours. Reheat in 325F oven for 5-10 minutes).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 F.
• Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan that's just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
• Roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the wine, stock, flour, sugar and mustard in a medium-sized pot and whisk until well combined. Mix in the onion, garlic and thyme.
• Bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
• Once the short ribs have roasted for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and drain away the excess fat.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• Pour the wine/stock mixture over the ribs.
• Cover and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
• Skim any fat from the surface of the ribs before serving.

Steps:

• Heat frying pan on HIGH (hot pan, cold grease= NO STICKING!).
• Add 2 T bacon fat- melt.
• Add chopped onion and garlic.
• Turn down heat to medium low- sauté for 5 minutes.
• Remove and set aside.
• Turn up heat to High- get pan really hot.
• Add more bacon fat or olive oil if pan is dry.
• Quickly brown meat- let each side get browned.
• Place browned meat into crock pot.
• Add 1 cup water to pan to make a beef stock.
• Add 2 bouillon cubes- stir and break up into stock.
• Add 1/4 Merlot (or other red wine) optional.
• Pour over meat in crock pot.
• Spoon onion mixture over meat.
• Cover and cook 10 hours on Low.
• Serve with mashed potatoes (or rice), cooked/buttered broccoli and crusty rolls.