PERHAPS it was the sunshine.
During the summer I ate an inordinate amount of beef. A cocktail of sunny days, mild evenings, the prospect of steak plus a new barbecue was a temptation too seductive to ignore. With the onset of autumn and the creeping feel of winter, some very different cooking beckons: enjoying beef means indulging in the tender unctuousness of a slow stew or a sticky braise instead.
Like many chefs I know, braising and stewing count among my favourite methods of cooking. Best of all, such gentle cooking is ideally suited to the home. But it's not just for the domestic kitchen. In the restaurant, there might be a riot if we gave up serving our daube of beef: ox cheeks are marinated in red wine and mirepoix vegetables for a day before being braised in red wine and stock very slowly.
Feather-blade, or spalebone, of beef is another favourite forequarter cut for the slow treatment. Braising it whole, again in red wine, herbs and vegetables, before portioning, provides a deeply succulent treat, as special as any steak.
If large cuts seem intimidating or you lack adequately large cooking vessels, stewing smaller diced meat is equally rewarding. Fragrant thyme, rich ruby port and slippery sweet onions will all play a part, transforming humble shoulder or chuck into a noble feast.
Winter casserole of beef with pearl onions and mushrooms
Recipes serve 6
1 tbsp vegetable oil
40g unsalted butter
1kg beef chuck steak, cut into 4cm cubes
1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
20 pearl onions, peeled (soaking in warm water for ten minutes helps to lift off the skins)
200g button mushrooms, quartered
300ml dry red wine
500ml beef stock, hot
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
1. In a large casserole, heat half the oil for one minute over a high heat. Toss the meat in the flour then brown it in three batches (five minutes per batch or until browned all over), transferring browned meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Allow a minute between each batch for the heat of the pan to recover, use the rest of the vegetable oil for browning each batch, if necessary.
2. Reduce heat, melt butter in the casserole pot over a low heat. Add onions, celery, garlic and carrots. Cook, stirring, for five minutes, until the onions have softened. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and fry for a further two minutes.
3. Add tomato purée. Stir and cook for a further minute. Increase heat and return the beef and its resting juices to the casserole with the wine and cook for two minutes so the wine boils and reduces by half, stirring from time to time.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir and season lightly. Cover and simmer very gently until the meat is tender, about for 1½-1¾ hours, stiring every 15-20 minutes. Removing the lid for the last 20-30 minutes allows some of the liquid to evaporate, thickening the sauce. If you think the sauce is thick enough, you needn't do this. Stir in the herbs, adjust the seasoning and serve with buttered savoy cabbage and mashed potato.
Braised featherblade of beef in red wine
1 whole feather blade, trimmed (around 1kg-1.2kg or you can buy 6 featherblade steaks at around 250g each and cook the meat as a braising steak)
3 tbsp oil
3 banana shallots or 1 medium onion, diced
2 celery sticks, peeled and sliced thinly
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
300ml red wine
200ml ruby port
800ml beef stock
2 tbsp tomato purée
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F/Gas 3.
2. Season the beef on both sides with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Heat one tbsp oil in a large heavy-based frying pan. Fry the whole piece of beef (or steak pieces) over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes all round until browned. Transfer to a deep-sided casserole pot.
3. Return the frying pan to the hob and reduce the heat. Add remaining oil and gently fry the shallots, thyme, bay leaf, celery and carrots for 10 minutes, until light golden-brown and starting to soften. Stir in the garlic, mustard and tomato purée, cook for a further minute and add the mixture to the pot with the meat.
4. Add wine to the pan and bring to the boil; simmer to reduce by half then add the port and repeat, stirring occasionally. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Bring the stock to the boil, either in this same pan or another then add to the pot with the other ingredients.
5. Cover the surface of meat and liquid carefully with a piece of greaseproof paper cut to the size of the dish. The meat should be submerged; if necessary top up with a little water. Place a lid on top and cook in the oven for 4-5 hours or until the beef is very tender. Skim away any surface fat that appears during cooking. Also top up with liquid if the meat becomes exposed through evaporation.
6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave the meat to rest in the pot for an hour. Transfer meat to a plate and loosely cover with tin foil. Strain the cooking liquor and vegetables through a sieve into a wide saucepan. Press the vegetables with the bottom of a ladle to extract a rich purée and stir into the cooking liquor. Simmer to reduce to a sauce consistency, skimming off fat or impurities which rise to the top. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (if needed). Add the beef to the liquid and heat through for 3-4 minutes, spooning over the sauce to glaze. Slice into steaks, serve with green vegetables and mashed potatoes, perhaps flavoured with horseradish.
Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef patron of The Peat Inn by St Andrews, Fife, Ky15 5LH 01334 840206
www.thepeatinn.co.uk
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