Beef Recipes for Festive Entertaining
November 29, 2011
Blade of Beef with Red Wine
This is a great dish to serve at Christmas if you are cooking for a large number and want to have everything pre-prepared. You can cook it before and freeze it or make the day before and re-heat. Bursting with flavour - the secret is great beef, super beef stock and a full bodied red wine.
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
2kg boned shin or feather blade of Lower Hurst Farm beef, cut into 6 thick steaks (you can ask your butcher to do this)
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp butter
Marinade
1 bottle of full-bodied red wine
4 carrots , cut into thick slices
1 celery stick, cut into thick slices
20 baby onions or shallots, peeled but left whole (top tip - soak in water to make them easier to peel)
4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
20 black peppercorns , crushed
1 bouquet garni (made with a few parsley stalks, 4 bay leaves and 6 thyme sprigs, tied together with string)
750ml of beef stock
To finish
50g unsalted butter
200g button mushrooms, trimmed
1. Begin by marinading the Beef. This needs to be done a day in advance. Bring the wine to the boil in a large saucepan and boil until the liquid has reduced by a third. This will remove the alcohol and depthen the flavour. Leave to cool for about 1 hr
2. Mix the beef steaks and chopped vegetables in a large bowls, then pour the cooled red wine over them. Cover with cling film, put in the fridge and leave to marinate for 24 hrs.
3. The next day, drain off the marinade using a collinder (reserving the wine) and remove excess liquid.
4. Seperate the beef from the vegetables and pat the beef dry, before lightly coating in seasoned flour.
5. Preheat a heavy bottomed pan and add some rapeseed oil. When it starts to shimmer add the beef steaks, one at a time and sear off until lightly browned (this will take a 4-5 minutes and may need to be done in batches depending on the size of your pan.
6. Transfer the beef to a plate and then add the vegetables to the pan, cook until lightly coloured.
7. Return the beef to the pan, add the reserved marinading juice, the beef stock, and the herbs. Bring to the boil, removing any scum that comes to the surface. Then cover with a lid and cook in a pre-heated oven for 3 hours, until the meat is deliciously tender.
8. To finish the sauce, place a colander (big enough to hold the meat and veg) over a large saucepan and drain off the cooking liquor from the casserole. Put the saucepan on a high heat and boil until the sauce has reduced by about half to make a lightly coating sauce. Taste the sauce and season to tast.
9. Return the beef and vegetables to the casserole, then pour over the sauce (discarding the herbs).
7. Serve and enjoy. Perfect accompaniments would be parsnip puree, brussels sprouts with bacon lardons and buttered carrots.
Tournedos Rossini
This is a decadent dish, perfect for Christmas / festive entertaining if you are cooking a special meal for a loved one
Ingredients
(Per Portion)
8oz tournedos (beef fillet cut from centre of whole fillet)
1 round bread crouton
30 gm butter
1 medallion of chicken liver pate (or foie gras)
40 ml red wine or Madeira
40 ml demi glace (reduced beef stock)
1 slice black truffle (optional)
Splash of olive oil
1 turned button mushroom
METHOD
1) Seal the Beef Fillet in a hot pan with oil and a little butter. Finish cooking in oven to desired degree
2) When meat is cooked rest for approx 5 mins
3) Cook the crouton and mushroom in pan in a little oil and butter
4) Deglaze the meat pan with red wine or Madeira, add demi glace and reduce. Add a little butter and check seasoning
5) Assemble by placing the tournedos on crouton, add pate, mushroom and dress with sauce
