The ideal of roast beef is thinly sliced for sandwiches, medium-rare, succulent and served with horse radish, but the standard technique for roasting beef (at 350F) doesn’t generate these results. Sous vide cooking followed by searing will do this, but that’s expensive. The ‘trick’ is to roast long and low after an initial sear, which makes even cheap cuts of beef come out evenly pink (not raw) and delicate.
For this technique, the details matter.
Ingredients one small onion 350g beef (shin or chuck) 1 stock cube 8g/1 tbs plain flour oil Equipment small saucepan or frying pan small/medium Pyrex casserole/dish sharp knife wooden or plastic spatula Method The basic recipe here makes a very plain, brown stew (at least, it will be brown if you let the meat and flour brown enough!); but it can be the basis of some good variations.
Ingredients one small onion 350g lean/steak beef mince 1 tin of kidney beans in chili sauce 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp chili powder/flakes 1 clove of garlic 1 stock cube 8g/1 tbs plain flour oil Equipment small saucepan or frying pan small/medium Pyrex casserole/dish sharp knife wooden or plastic spatula chopping board Method Brown the mince in a hot pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil; don’t let the oil burn, but you want the mince to have a deep brown colour in places.
From Moro (Casa Moro), via the Telegraph. For four.
40g butter
30ml/2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 onion, finely chopped (3 tbs)
4 tbs chopped fresh coriander
large pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbs hot water
1.2 kg stewing beef, well trimmed (seems too much)
From Elizabeth David, Italian Food
500g lean beef - “braising steak”, skirt, or one of the lumps sold as “roasting joint” in English supermarkets. Preferably in a chunk rather than a flat steak, and NOT diced. 1 italian pork sausage, approx 85g/3oz. 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 stick of celery, finely chopped 1 oz butter 1 tbs tomato puree small glass white wine 240ml/1 cup beef stock 2 cloves salt and pepper Melt the butter and soften the onion, carrot and celery over a low/medium heat.
750g best mince (lean steak) 2 red chilis (fresh, or from a tin of chipotles in adobo) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tin (400g) mixed beans or red kidney 1 tin red kidney beans in chili sauce 1 tin (400g) tomatoes 1 onion 2 red peppers stock to cover 1 tbs flour First, brown all the mince in small batches in a very hot pan, with the windows open and smoke detector turned off.
Recipe adapted from Edouarde de Pomiane.
600g beef; chuck, shin, brisket, even silverside or top rump will do. 170g/6oz fat bacon 1 onion sprig fresh thyme bay leaf half bottle red wine In a casserole, melt a spoonful of butter over medium heat, and add the bacon. This should have been chopped into cubes, small or large (1cm) will both work. When it has rendered some fat and started to brown, add the chopped onion.