Grandmas Braised Beef Recipes

GRANDPA'S BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions, and garlic to the hot oil and sweat them until very soft and very light caramel in color, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan. Pat the meat dry and season very liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat to a deep brown all over, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and very thinly slice them lengthwise into planks. Slice the tomatoes working over a bowl to catch their juices.
• Arrange 1/2 the onions over top of the meat, season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme. Arrange 1/2 the potatoes over the onions and dress the potatoes with a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, salt, pepper, rosemary, and a handful freshly grated cheese. Top the potatoes with 1/2 the tomatoes and their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter a few leaves of torn basil. Repeat the layers. Do not add basil to the top layer of tomatoes.
• Cover the pan and roast the meat in the oven until very tender, 4 hours. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• To reheat: Reheat, covered, in a preheated 325 degree F oven until warmed through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Take off the lid of the pot, drizzle the top of the meat with oil, sprinkle with cheese, and broil to lightly crust the top. Cut down through the layers of the potatoes, tomatoes, and onions to portion the meat, serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread and pan juices.

GRANDMA'S BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Brown the meat well on all sides.
• If using a crockpot, transfer meat to crockpot at this point. In either pot, add all ingredients, except the catsup. Add broth to cover meat.
• Simmer covered, over low heat until meat is tender. This can vary with the cut of meat, usually anywhere from 2 to 4 hours (all day in the crockpot.) If using the Dutch oven check every hour or so and keep adding broth to keep meat covered.
• Add catsup and cook for and additional 45 minutes to an hour.
• My grandmother served it with egg dumplings, but it can be served with egg noodles or potato dumplings. I usually serve it with Gnocchi. They are Italian, but are made the same way as the German potato dumplings, only they are smaller.
• What ever you choose to serve it with, cook according to your recipe or the package directions. I put the noodles, or dumplings or Gnocchi in the bottom of a flat soup bowl and ladle the braised beef over. If you are worried that it isn't a balanced meal (no veggies) it is also good with carrots added. I will occasionally steam a package of sliced carrots and add them to the top in the bowl just before I serve.