Beef braised with French flavours
Braising steak is sometimes a difficult thing to use. You can use it in stir-frys etc but what it needs it a bit of slow cook to help break down the fibres. Braising for an hour and then resting results in tender and delicious chunks of meat and it perfect for reducing and thickening the sauce.
You will need
- Beef braising steak. I used a piece a little larger than my hand
- Small red onion
- Decent sized glass of reasonable red wine
- Half a stock pot
- 10 blackpepper corns
- A heaped desert spoon of dijon mustard
- a blob of butter
- touch of oil
Do
- Dice the beef, trimming off any really tough connective tissue
- Rough chop the onion
- Melt butter in a pan with a touch of oil. The butter is for flavour, the oil helps it not stick
- On a medium hot heat sizzle the beef until it takes on some colour
- Add the onions, stir and reduce the heat a little
- Once the onions have softened and gone a little translucent add all the rest of the ingrediants and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat so it’s only just bubbling, pop on a lid and come back in an hour
- Stir and scape any stuff off the bottom, turn the heat off and remove the lid. Try a piece of the beef, it will be delicious but tough as boots.
- Leave to result for at least 20 minutes. Now try the beef. See!
Results
Rich and deep, sharp and punchy. The beef should have some bitable texture. Those little stock pots have enough salt to negate adding any more. I served it with veg (because you’re meant to eat them right) and toast for soaking up the gravy. Some black green cabbage would have been excellent. It would have also made a brilliant pie filling.
The Plate
Notice the funning markings on the plate? It’s an ETE Plate, something I backed on kickstarter last year. I’m trying to stick to it.