Need ideas for using braising steak!

Curry_Queen

I've got a pound (525g) of cubed braising steak sitting in the fridge that I'd like to convert into a meal for today but would like some ideas other than just making a bog standard stew please

I have all the usual store cupboard ingredients as well as a selection of root veggies, peppers/garlic/chilli/herbs and wines so should be set to tackle anything that's suggested. Also have some frozen pastry should anyone suggest some sort of pie!



I would search up recipes myself but I'm currently tackling TM's challenge to find a cake recipe, so any ideas would be most welcome

Glad

Mediterranean Beef

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
400g braising or stewing beef, cubed
400g can chopped tomatoes
150ml red wine
150ml beef stock
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
12 black or green olives
1 courgette, cut into large chunks
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
pinch each of salt and ground black pepper

french stick
butter
cheese

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Remove from the pan and transfer to a large ovenproof dish.


2. Add the diced beef to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the beef is brown on all sides. Add the tomatoes, wine, stock, basil and olives and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat immediately and add to the ovenproof dish. Season to taste, stir and cover. Cook in the centre of the preheated oven for 1¼ hours.

3. Remove the casserole from the oven and add the chunks of courgette and red pepper. Cover and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

4. Slice a french stick or similar diagonally and spread with butter or garlic butter, spread on top of casserole sprinkle with lost of cheese and return to oven until cheese bubbles


I took this recipe originally from I-Village and adapted it,
different toppings can be used
originally it was olive paste not garlic butter
different veg can be used in the casserole too
and sometimes I add wine or beer

Curry_Queen

Ohhhh thank you so much for that ... it sounds delicious!!!

I actually have all of the above, including some baguettes I grabbed at reduced price from the bakers yesterday at **closing time! I don't have any olives, but then I don't like them anyway so that's no problem

I've printed this off and will shortly be found in the kitchen ... cooking!


Just a thought, you don't mention whether to flour the beef before frying so I wonder whether it's not necessary in this recipe. What I often do when browning beef is to coat it first in a little olive oil, then toss in flour with a little bit of cayenne pepper added and this gives the dish a bit of a fiery kick, as well as thickening the sauce.

I might do that anyway, especially as it's so cold today and my lad is out playing football so would welcome a hot spicy meal when he gets back.



** benefits of living opposite a bakery means you can grab whatever's left at end of day for silly prices

Addy

Mmmmmmmmm.........making my roast chicken sound almost unappealing.....can I come to your's for lunch please?

Glad

hi
I don't normally flour the meat 1st as I use a large stainless steel pan and tend to thicken with a little flour and butter as needed to save sticking,
but this doesn't need much thickening anyway, the bread soaks up some of the liquid at the end

your idea of the cayenne pepper sounds yum though so I'm adding that as an option on this recipe

frizz_head

My Favourite Beef recipe is Delias Beef in Beer.

Glad

frizz_head wrote:

My Favourite Beef recipe is Delias Beef in Beer.

Delias recipe is where I got my idea of using french sticks, the original recipe on I-Village used ciabatta and olive paste with mozzarella, but I'm more likely to have a french stick in

margaret_3

It sounds delicious. Do you think I could use this with chicken breasts?
Just a thought as my husband doesn't like red meat.

frizz_head

I have never cooked the meal as Delia suggests with the cheesy topped bread, have only ever had it with Mash. I will try it one day though.

Re. using Chicken instead - I'm no chef, but I don't see why not. It requires 3 hours cooking time required to turn the beer into a syrupy sauce.

Sarahsaver

boeuf bourgignon
I dont have a recipe, but it is cubed beef, red wine, mushrooms, onion, garlic, nice and simple, and LOVELY after a day simmering away in the slow cooker;)

filigree_2

This is the one I like:

450g braising steak
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder according to taste
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
1 14 oz can red kidney beans (or some other beans if you prefer)
300ml beef stock
14oz can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree

In a pan, brown the meat all over briefly and then add the powdered spices, stir and turn the heat down. You don't need flour, the spices thicken it up.

Chop up the onion and pepper, crush the garlic. Drain and rinse the beans, make up the stock.

Add the stock, tomatoes, pepper, onion, tom puree and garlic to the beef. Bring to the boil then pour into a casserole dish, cook it at 180 Celsius or Gas Mark 4 for 2-2 1/2 hours.

This makes the beef tender, and the long cooking means it isn't too spicy. If you use lean beef and Spray Light cooking oil, this recipe is low fat and works on Weight Watchers.