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Roast Sirloin with Red Wine Sauce

Combine 2 cups red wine and ¼ cup minced shallots or 1 tablespoon slivered garlic and reduce over high heat until only about ½ cup of syrupy liquid remains; stir in a tablespoon of butter and some salt and pepper.

POACHED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH GARNISHES

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

SERVE THE MEAT with a variety of garnishes, which you and your guests can combine any way you like.

One 2-pound piece beef tenderloin from the thick end, preferably at room temperature

6 cups boiling stock or water

Salt

Minced shallots, good mustard, chopped cornichons, coarse salt, soy sauce, and ketchup for garnish

1. Put the meat in a deep pan just large enough to hold it—a Dutch oven is usually ideal, but you can curve the meat into a wide saucepan too—and cover it with boiling stock or water. Add a large pinch of salt if you’re using water or if the stock is unsalted. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently—on my stove that’s medium.

2. Cook until the meat reaches 120°F on an instant-read thermometer; 125°F if you prefer medium-rare. Remove the meat and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then cut into ½- to 1-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately, with the garnishes.

A NOTE ON POT ROASTS, STEWS, AND OTHER BRAISED BEEF DISHES

POT ROAST AND its ilk are true no-brainers: since they are always cooked well done, timing is pretty flexible, and since they are cooked in a covered pot with liquid, neither source nor level of heat matters much.

You can cook a pot roast on top of the stove or in the oven, at a very low heat, something more moderate, or even quite high. You can even cook it in advance and reheat it, or cut the meat up before cooking and call it beef stew.

Tender cuts of beef, like sirloin and even tenderloin, will markedly reduce the cooking time but will not produce the same rich, silky sauce created by the tougher cuts. Thus inexpensive cuts like chuck and brisket are best—and you can use either one. Chuck becomes tender a little faster, but it is fattier; brisket becomes a little drier, but the sauce takes care of that, and it slices beautifully.

Remember that when you are browning the meat, a step called for in each of the following recipes, you should keep the heat high and not move the meat around. Only when it appears good and browned—really browned, not just colored—should you proceed to the next step.

The best part is that flavoring pot roast is no more than a matter of taste; you can hardly go wrong as long as the ingredients that go in the pot all appeal to you.

ASIAN POT ROAST WITH TURNIPS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 3 TO 4 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

WHEN YOU’RE MAKING a pot roast, the vegetables you add at the beginning contribute to the development of the sauce, but those at the end draw on the sauce for flavor (like the turnip or rutabaga in this dish), often making them the best part.

You can skip browning the meat to save time (and mess) if necessary. Yes, browning creates complexity, but there is so much flavor in this particular pot roast that subtle complexity is overwhelmed.

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

One 3- to 4-pound beef brisket or boneless chuck

⅓ cup dark soy sauce or ½ cup light soy sauce

5 nickel-sized slices fresh ginger (don’t bother to peel)

4 whole star anise

2 to 3 cups cubed peeled rutabaga or white turnip

½ cup minced scallion

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, add the roast (you can cover the pot loosely to reduce spattering), and sear for about 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. While the meat is browning, combine the soy sauce, ginger, star anise, and 2 cups of water in a casserole big enough to hold the meat snugly. Bring this mixture to a boil, then adjust the heat so it simmers.

2. When the meat is browned, add it to the simmering liquid and cover the pot. Cook, turning the meat once or twice an hour and adding more water if necessary, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is just about tender