Slow Beer Braised Beef and Broccoli with Baked Potatoes
Skip the clever post & feed directly on the recipe →
Let’s talk about personal space.
Living in Canada, we really like our personal space, don’t we? We have enough of it – 107.5 trillion square feet, actually. Our lawns (those who are fortunate enough to afford them, anyhow) sprawl ‘fo dayz, yo. In Vancouver, we brag about our proximity to the ocean, the mountains, and the city all at once – we love our nature. And ‘ya get on public transit & everyone gives each other a foot of breathing room on either side (often to the delay of others waiting to board.)
Yup, Canadians. We like our space.
My travels around the world, however, have enlightened me to the fact that not everyone requires the same amount of breathing room as we do. Before my 30th birthday celebration to Barcelona, I thought “busy” was rush hour in downtown Toronto. After visiting London England, I realized Barcelona was a quaint little town whose residents drink a lot, love hard, and nap daily (no judgement – I’m into it.) And after meandering Khao San Road in Bangkok until the wee hours of the morning, shopping the night markets in Phnom Phen for “white-person” shorts that fit my ass, and braving the perilous motorbike crowded streets of Saigon – hold onto your butts; I became uncomfortably familiar with the idea that the the closest thing you’ll find to personal space, is that someone is in yours.
It’s all part of the adventure, though… amiright?
I just got a new personal space of my own, actually. This past week Tyrone and I moved into a new apartment, in a new part of town, with all new furniture. Not to mention a big new soaker-tub. A huge new freezer to stockpile soups and stews. And our new outdoor space is the patio I’ve always dreamed of and never had.
The biggest win though?
I have a big fucking kitchen. Or at least a 50 square-foot one.
I realize 50 square-feet of anything doesn’t doesn’t sound like much, but in our previous apartment, we were constantly vying with our roommates for a bit of clean space – any space – to cook something for dinner. It was crowded, to say the least; everyone was in there, all the time. And while I love the people we were living with, as someone who cooks for a living and finds solace in the bottom of a soup pot or the depths of a rich sauce, mama needs her space.
In short: this 600 square-foot home is everything I could ever ask for.
The kitchen has come in especially useful right now, given the current, ahem, situation. T has found his inner baker, and I’ve found a place to store the box(es) of wine. I guess with this self-isolation stuff, we’re all going through a bit of a rough patch in one way or another. While I’m more of an introvert and because I’ve been self employed for 8 years – and thus, am used to being home for days on end – I feel like I’m faring relatively well. It does feel like all our plans have been quarantined, though. But you know me – I’m more of a glass half full kinda gal, especially when whiskey is involved. But also life.
Lost some clients? Great – I have all the time I say I want to work on pitching my first novel to agents, and begin writing the second one. Sci-fi adventure comedy? Oh yes.
Fiancé lost his job? Fabulous – he’s at my beck and call to do all the dirty things I ask him to do (no really – he is. It’s awesome.)
Not traveling to Vietnam or Nepal or Peru or Spain or anywhere else I want to hike before I turn 40? Fine. I’ll do it when I’m 41. Or 42. After all, 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything anyhow, right?
I believe we have zero control over the circumstances that put us in the positions we find ourselves; we only have control over how we choose to respond to them.
So I’m choosing to write, because I am a writer. To laugh at myself because I am a dumbass and clumsy AF. To make love to my fiancé because hot damn – have you seen him? To breathe in the space the universe is gifting me. To move my body more than I’m watching episodes of Orange is the New Black. To cuddle the crap out of my doggo. And to cook delicious, beautiful food that is both affordable and seasonal. Because it’s fucking important to nourish myself and my loved ones – now more than ever.
This recipe was inspired by my recent interview on CBC Vancouver (2 hr, 30 min mark). When host Gloria Macarenko asked me about what we’ve been eating lately, it occurred to me I should share that here, too.
This recipe is SUPER flexible so use what ya got in your personal space. No potatoes? Use rice. No rice? Use Pasta! If procuring broccoli is a challenge, try cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, or zucchini – all roast really well. Or hell, microwave some damn peas. And if stew beef just isn’t in your grocery shopping future, try your favourite chili recipe instead, friends.
Oh yeah, and on the note of friends… We gotta stick together through all this. Please, right now, #StayTheFuckHome. If you MUST go out, maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and anyone else. Not only do the lives of vulnerable populations depend on your participation, but if people keep getting sick, small businesses like mine – and the fabric of our economy – can’t recover. Okay, I’m done.
Enjoy the slow beer braised beef and broccoli with baked potatoes. It’s tasty, nutritious, and it’ll make your house smell incredible.
Slow Braised Beef and Broccoli with Baked Potatoes
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
- 2 Lbs beef stew meat, cut into 2″ pieces
- Coarse sea salt + fresh cracked black pepper
- Vegetable oil
- 1 C chopped red onion, 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 C chopped carrot, 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 C chopped celery, 1/2″ pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 C beef stock
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 C porter beer (stout or pale ale will also work nicely)
- 6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
To serve:
- Chopped green onion
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- If desired, sour cream and butter
- Your choice of sides – see below for baked potato and broccoli instructions
- Place a large oven-safe pot over medium high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. As it comes to temperature, pat the beef chunks dry with paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot and oil is shimmering (but not smoking,) add the beef and brown all over to develop flavour, approx. 2-3 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or you’ll steam the meat, rather than sear it. If you must, brown in batches. Once all the meat is browned, set aside.
- Drizzle 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil into the pan. Toss the red onion, carrot, and celery into the pan. Cook until the veggies are just starting to get a bit of caramelization on them, stirring often. Turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
- Add the tomato paste to the veggie mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes. This will help the dish gain a rich, deep flavour.
- When the paste just starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, pour in the beef stock, tomatoes, beer, and vinegar. Stir in the brown sugar and bay leaves, and add the meat to the mixture. Stir well. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Watch it though – beer tends to bubble and you don’t want it to overflow.
- Cover and place the pot in the hot oven to braise for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove from the oven and carefully strain the liquid into a medium sized pot. Set aside.
- Using two forks, pick the meat from the rest of the solids and shred. At this point, the meat should easily pull apart with the forks.
- Return the veggies to the liquid and using a hand blender, emulsify to a smooth consistency. Place over medium-high heat and when it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow to reduce by 1/3rd, stirring often. You’ll end up with a silky, thick, delicious braised beer sauce.
- Fold the meat into the pot. Mix well.
- Serve with green onion, Parmesan, and your choice of sides – see notes below for roasted broccoli and baked potatoes. Eat!!
Boozy Tip: I’ve often made this recipe with whatever alcohol I have on hand – red wine for a more classic combo, beer such as here, or even scotch and vermouth in my award-winning cookbook #CookingWithCocktails. You do you, boo.
Baked Potato: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. As it heats, pierce 4 small to medium sized russet potatoes with a fork several times (this keeps the potato from exploding in your oven.) Coat generously with vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a small baking tray and bake 50-60 minutes. Hot potato! Serve with butter, green onion, and/or sour cream. If desired, cover with tin foil to keep warm as your broccoli roasts.
Roasted Broccoli: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. As it heats, chop broccoli into 2″ pieces until you have approx. 4 C. Place on a large baking sheet and toss to coat generously with vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 18-20 minutes, or until just starting to blacken on the edges. Yum.
The post Slow Beer Braised Beef and Broccoli with Baked Potatoes appeared first on She Eats.
Kristy Gardner
Lascivious lover of good, “ethical” food & wine.
http://gastronomicalsovereignty.blogspot.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Gastronomical Sovereignty
Twitter: gsonblogger
Source: https://sheeats.ca/2020/04/slow-beer-braised-beef-and-broccoli-with-baked-potatoes/
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