Beef Braised in Red Wine

I’ve realised that as a cook, I either prefer making more hearty, filling meals, or the complete opposite - light salads or healthier versions of food. One of my obsessions is a “traditional” hearty meal, and I use “traditional” loosely here as it’s subjective depending on your personal experiences. I first braised a beef joint in 2018 when I hosted a Valentine’s Day soiree (you can catch up on that one here). I felt like it was a very complex food to make, and I kept referring back to the recipe quite often to make sure I cooked it exactly as the recipe called for. I actually had a bit of a faux-pas on that day, having placed a pot in the oven including its glass lid (facepalm). I know, I know, common sense should have told me that unless the glass was oven safe, it would explode. You can sort of guess what happened next - it cracked. Dinner was nearly ruined and I had to painstakingly check the lid to ensure no fragments had fallen into the pot, posing a hazard. In hindsight, I probably should have just put it all in the bin to be safe, but I managed to save it. Anyway, since that day, I braise my beef exclusively on the stove instead of the oven. This ensures that I never have any of these accidents again. One day, I’ll buy an oven-safe pot and see how different the dish would be when braised in the oven as opposed to on the stove. I’ve braised beef countless times, and it’s become a favourite Sunday evening dish in my household to replace Sunday roasts on some weekends, usually served with dauphinoise potatoes.

Braised beef is brilliant for family dinners, and if you’re trying to impress your family (or yourself), then follow this simple recipe. The key thing to note is that when it comes to cooking, obtaining quality ingredients is very important. Secondly, ensuring you’re using the best utensils (knife sharp enough to slice your tabletop, etc) goes a long way. Also, always wash your ingredients before cooking, and most importantly, clean as you go! I think it goes without saying that you shouldn't mix your chopping boards. Ensure you use separate chopping boards for raw meat and a separate board for fresh vegetables to avoid cross-contamination. I usually use Green and Red to help me with that, red being for raw meat. And before we start, remember to make a recipe your own. This isn’t like baking a cake which requires the specific and thorough following of a method, you can replace certain ingredients for others (within reason). A quick Google search can show you what a good alternative to specific ingredients is. You’re welcome :) 

Beef Braised in Red Wine

Recipe Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 10 minutes - 24hrs                              

Cooking time: approx 2 and a half - 3hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 brisket joint

Half red onion chopped

Half large onion chopped

1 large spoon cooking oil

Steak seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 small bulb fresh chopped garlic or 2 tablespoons garlic paste

1 small packet green beans

3/4 small punnet chestnut mushrooms

3 small carrots sliced in half or quarters

1 tsp thyme

flour to dust beef

1/2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon 

1/2 cube beef stock, 1/2 cube veg stock (knorr)

Some boiling water

METHOD

1. Slice the top part of your joint along the string keeping the joint together. Avoid cutting the string. Marinate your beef joint in steak seasoning, salt, part of the red wine, thyme and garlic. Keep in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight if you have time). If you don’t have time to marinate, simply season your beef with all the dry ingredients and move on to step 2.

2. After marinating, heat up some cooking oil in a large and very spacious pot, then take your join and dust it with a little bit of flour before frying it for a couple of minutes or so, until the outside is nice and brown. If you marinated your beef instead of just seasoning it, make sure you keep the marinade juices!!!

3. Take joint out once it’s nice and brown, and put the onions and fry them until super soft. Put the joint back in.

4. Prepare stock using the leftover juices from marinating, adding the remaining red wine, a cup of boiling water, the beef and veg cubes and a bit more steak seasoning and salt as required. Pour your stock into the pot, then add your green beans and carrots and let it all cook for up to 2 hours, stirring regularly so it doesn't burn at the bottom. Regularly add boiling water and a bit more wine as needed, especially when the liquid has reduced. Avoid drastically changing the taste of your dish by excessive use of red wine, though.

5. Add mushrooms once the meat is a bit softer, and let it all cook for a further 30 minutes, then it's done. 

You can enjoy this with sweet potato mash, potato mash, sweet potato dauphinoise, potato dauphinoise or even rice! Bon Appetit, and if you’ve tried this dish, let me know how it went for you.