Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [258]
Add the mushrooms. Cook until they release their liquid and soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, cook for 20 seconds, then sprinkle the flour into the pot. Count to ten, then stir well and cook just until everything’s well coated and the flour starts to brown.
Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the broth—the constant stirring will help the flour dissolve into the sauce. Stir in the beer and mustard until the foaming subsides. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom.
Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the carrots, parsnip, turnip, caraway seeds, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer very slowly, stirring once in a while, until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Especially during the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir often to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick. If the sauce gets too thick, add more beef broth in ½-cup increments. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf before serving.
Variations: When you take the stew off the heat, stir in ¼ cup chopped pitted green olives.
Omit the parsnip and turnip; use 1 medium celeriac or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Slow Cooker Variation: Cook the dish up to step 6 as directed. Pour the contents of the pot into a 6-quart slow cooker; add the browned beef, bacon, and the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low until the meat is fork-tender, about 7 hours.
Indonesian-Inspired Beef Curry
Mince the aromatics finely so they almost dissolve into the coconut sauce. Serve over white, jasmine, brown, or red rice. Makes 6 servings
3 tablespoons canola oil
1½ pounds beef bottom round, thinly sliced
2 medium shallots, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 Thai hot chiles, seeded and thinly sliced
3 cardamom pods, finely crushed
One 4-inch cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth
1 cup regular or low-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
Heat a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon canola oil, then add the beef, working in batches to prevent overcrowding. Lightly brown the strips on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate; pour off any fat in the pot.
Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the shallots, ginger, and garlic; cook until softened, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chiles; cook, stirring often, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, coriander, cumin, cloves, salt, and pepper; cook for 30 seconds.
Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom. Stir in the coconut milk.
Return the beef to the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer slowly until the beef is tender, about 45 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the lime juice just before serving.
Variations: For a milder dish, substitute serrano chiles for the Thai hots.
Add 3 allspice berries with the cinnamon stick; discard them at the end as well.
Grilled Chili
Chili doesn’t have to be made just with ground beef; it only needs to be a chili-laced stew or braise. The best chili is a chunky stew—and includes the charred taste from the grill. If you don’t have a grill, use a well-seasoned grill pan. There’s quite a bit of chili powder in this recipe. Bottlings vary tremendously—if yours is extremely hot, you may want to reduce the amount by half. Makes 4 servings
1 pound sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Canola oil for the grate or grill pan
2 medium onions, sliced into ½-inch rings
2 medium green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and quartered
8 Roma