Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Red Wine

Yes, it is still the 'Great White North' here in Canada. It seems everytime I turn around more snow is falling. I've had enough. One of the few ways to beat the bad weather is a hot meal that has been simmering on the stove for hours. Well, there are other ways but we'll just not mention those for now, this is a family blog!

This recipe for slowly braised beef served over noodles seemed like a sure thing to fight off the 'will winter ever leave blahs . . .' It was!

You can add a teaspoon or two of ground dried porcini mushrooms (i popped in a porcini boullion cube I brought back from Italy last fall) along with the broth and red wine to give the dish an extra layer of mushroom flavor. The more meaty, earthy-tasting mushrooms such as porcini or black trumpet are ideal to use. We served this over egg noodles.

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Red Wine

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
1 cup boiling water
1 1/4 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pearl onions (about 16)
6 cups chopped cremini mushrooms (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) slices carrot (about 2 large)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine porcini mushrooms and 1 cup boiling water in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms; set aside.

Sprinkle beef with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining beef.

Add onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cremini mushrooms and carrot; sauté 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add beef, porcini mushrooms, porcini liquid, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaves); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Uncover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until liquid thickens. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 307 (30% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 33.5g; CHOLESTEROL 88mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 716mg; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 4.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.9g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Comments

[Kim]

If we weren't going out to dinner Saturday night, this would be on the menu.

[Jerry]

There you go - dinner for another night is planned. Those are the best menus.