Zinfandel Beef Stock Recipes

PROVENçAL BEEF WITH ZINFANDEL

Steps:

• Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Place bacon in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Cook beef in drippings in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Stir onion into beef. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Spoon into cooker.
• Stir remaining ingredients except mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, noodles and parsley into mixture in cooker.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender.
• Stir in mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and cook on low heat setting 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

ZINFANDEL-BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Melt 1 tbl butter in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper, and add to pot in single-layer without crowding. (Do in batches, if necessary). When browned on all sides, remove to bowl.
• Add 1 tbl butter to pot (I did not as my ribs exuded enough fat). Add onions and saute until brown, about 6 minutes.
• Add parsnips and saute until they begin to color, about 6 minutes.
• Add garlic and then the rosemary.
• Add wine and broth and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Return the ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot in a single layer. Bring to a simmer, cover, and place in oven.
• Braise until the ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Using tongs, remove ribs to a serving bowl and keep warm.
• Skim fat from the gravy, and boil until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix together 1 tbl butter with the flour. Adding it in bits, whisk this into the gravy and continue to cook until it's thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes longer.
• Season with salt and pepper. Cover ribs with gravy.
• Note: This can be made up to two days ahead. Rewarm over low heat before serving.