Beef à la mode
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2.5 kg piece of beef chuck
150 gm (1 cup) plain flour, for dusting
60 gm (¼ cup) lard
12 (about 2 bunches) baby carrots, trimmed
1 small celeriac, diced
1 celery heart, cut into 1cm pieces
12 shallots
100 gm mild round pancetta, cut into batons
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
250 ml red wine
400 gm canned finely chopped tomatoes
1 litre (4 cups) beef stock
1 sprig each thyme and fresh bay leaves
mashed potatoes to serve
Gremolata
½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ lemon, finely grated rind only
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 150C. Tie beef securely at intervals with kitchen string.
- Place flour in a bowl or on a plate, season to taste, then add beef and turn to coat evenly in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat lard in a casserole over medium-high heat. Add beef and turn occasionally until browned (5 minutes each side), scraping base of pan to prevent sediment catching on base and burning. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add vegetables and pancetta, stir until browned (3-5 minutes). Remove from pan, cover with foil and set aside.
- Deglaze pan with vinegar, then add red wine, scrape base of pan to dislodge sediment, then cook until reduced by half (5-7 minutes).
- Add tomato, beef, vegetable mixture, herbs and stock to pan and bring to boil, then cover with a lid and bake, turning beef occasionally, until beef is very tender (5 hours). Remove vegetables from the pan after 3 hours of cooking and set aside.
- Return vegetables to pan, cool to room temperature, refrigerate until chilled (3-5 hours). Degrease fat from surface and discard, bring to the boil, then remove meat and vegetables, cover with foil, set aside and keep warm.
- Strain sauce through a sieve, then cook over high heat until reduced by half (5-10 minutes). Meanwhile, for gremolata, combine ingredients. Serve sliced beef and vegetables with sauce poured over and scattered with gremolata, with creamy mash to the side.
Tips
Always rest beef after cooking. This gives the meat juices a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and tender result.
Note: Not all images displayed on this page utilise Cape Grim Beef.