Braised Beef Cubes 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.

BRAISED BEEF CUBES IN GRAVY

Steps:

• Cut the meat into large cubes and trim all visible fat. When the meat is in cubes or chunks, set it aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Place the meat in the bowl and toss it in the flour, coating it on all sides. Meanwhile, heat up the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the coated chunks of beef into the hot oil. Brown them on all sides. This will take about 10 minutes of cooking. Save the leftover flour in the bowl. You will use it later for the gravy. After the meat is well browned, add the water. Bring the meat to a boil. Reduce the heat so the water barely simmers. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for 1-2 hours. If the water simmers away, add more as you see fit. After two hours, the meat should be tender. In a pint size canning jar, or other container with a good lid, combine the remaining flour and the milk. Screw the lid to the jar on tightly and shake it until the flour is completely dissolved in the milk. Then pour this into the skillet on the stove, to thicken the gravy. Stir it up and bring it to a boil. Continue cooking for a full minute. If the gravy is too thick, add water until it is the consistency you like.

BRAISED BEEF RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the beef into large chunks.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Brown the beef chunks. Then remove them and set aside.
• Cook the onions in the same skillet until they are fully cooked (or translucent).
• In a Dutch oven pot, begin layering the ingredients in the following order; 1/2 browned beef chunks, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, then half the sautéed onion and half the garlic (pressed).
• Repeat step 4 with the remaining beef chunks.
• Add the red wine and water to the meat and place the lid on top. Place the pot onto the cooktop and bring it to a boil. Place the pot into the oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours at 360 Fahrenheit. Cook until the meat is fully cooked through.

HOW TO BRAISE BEEF

Steps:

• Select an inexpensive cut of meat to braise. While it may seem contrary to usual meat-buying logic, tougher or less-tender cuts of meat are perfect for braising. Pot roast, chuck roast or any inexpensive cut may be used. The muscle fibers and connective tissue that make these cuts stringy or tough are broken down by braising, which gelatinizes the collagen into a more palatable texture. Low heat and long cooking times are used to make a tough cut of any kind of meat moist, tender, and delicious, when cooked properly. Common cuts of beef for braising include: top blade roast eye roast seven bone, or center-cut pot roast shank ribs or short ribs brisket It's unlikely that you would ever want to braise any kind of lean steaks or loin. You could, but because these meats are tender already, it'd be a bit of a waste.
• Select a braising liquid. Other than a pot and your cut of beef, the only other absolutely essential ingredient is a liquid in which to simmer the meat. Because this is an opportunity to add a dash of flavor to the dish, it's most common to use wines, stocks, or other flavorful liquid, as opposed to water. Common braising liquids include: Beef stock or broth. You can match the stock to the dish by using a beef-based broth or stock, although using chicken stock would is universal for braising any type of meat, and might add a nice complexity to your braised beef. Stock is just broth that hasn't been seasoned, so stock is generally better for braising, since it allows you to control the salt-levels, but either is acceptable. Just go easy on the salt if you use broth. Red wine. Dry red wine can add a nice acidic note to beef, especially when combined with another braising liquid, like stock. The alcohol cooks off, resulting in a rich and fragrant dark sauce. Especially fruity or sweet red wines would be less desirable, but fine if paired with an equal amount of stock to cut the sweetness. The fruitiness of a white wine would pair better with chicken or pork. Since it'll season your dish, make sure it's something you'd like to drink--pour yourself a glass for "research." Dark beer. English cooking at its finest. Stouts, porters, or black lagers all lend a rich sweetness to beef, and a malty depth of flavor. The darker the better, when it comes to beef. Some Belgian ales might also work nicely, but experiment and find a beer you with a nice flavor. In general, lighter pilsners and lagers are more appropriate for chicken or pork. How much liquid you'll need will depend on the amount of meat you're braising, and the addition of extra vegetables. As a rule of thumb, you'll want enough liquid to cover the vegetables at the bottom of the pot and come up just to the level of the meat. You're not boiling the meat, or stewing it, so you won't submerge it in the braising liquid. It won't take much, and you can always add additional water to the pot if you didn't have enough wine left in the bottle.
• Start with a mirepoix or some mix of finely minced vegetables. Sounds fancy, but it's not. In French cuisine, braised beef and many other meat dishes will always start with a vegetable base of finely minced carrot, onion, and celery, called mirepoix, which is used to pair with the meat and enrich the sauce. After searing the meat, the mirepoix is added and browned briefly before adding the braising liquid to the pot. For a proper braising, there needs to be something at the bottom of the pot other than the liquid, to give the sauce fragrance, substance, and character, as well as to keep it from drying out. When minced very small, the mirepoix will mostly disintegrate into the liquid over the course of the long cooking time, to flavor the sauce, though you could leave larger chunks to do more of a "pot roast" style braised beef. Depending on the cut of meat, you might use around 2-3 carrots, 2-3 celery stalks, and a small white onion.
• Choose additional vegetables to add as well. Depending on what you want to do with the beef you braise, you might elect to make a one-pot meal with the addition of vegetables. In most braising, some variety of aromatic vegetable will always be used to keep the moisture consistent in the bottom of the pot, as well as to release other flavors and aromas. Cooking beef low and slow is a great opportunity to cook vegetables as well. Other vegetables like potatoes, cabbage, peas, mushrooms, greens, leeks, or other root vegetables can be added to the pot later, about 45 minutes before the meat is done cooking. Some fruits, like apple or pear, can also pair nicely with braised beef, depending on the season. Use firm, slightly under-ripe fruit, if you want to experiment. Aromatic herbs like rosemary, sage, bay leaf, or thyme can kick your braised beef up several notches. If you've got access to an herb garden, or just want to buy some fresh herbs from the store, tie up a bundle of a few stalks in twine and add at the same time you add the braising liquid.
• Always use a heavy-bottom stew pot or dutch oven. Braising starts on the stove and moves into the oven, making it important that you start in a pot that's oven-safe. Enameled cast-iron pots are perfect for braising, featuring the heat-retention of cast iron and the hefty weight of a good baking dish. Skillets aren't generally big enough to hold all the braising liquid, meat, and vegetables required for a good braising, while thinner sauce-pans won't hold the heat as effectively as cast iron. If you don't have a cast iron dutch oven, though, anything you can cover and put in the oven will do in a pinch. If you don't have an oven-safe stew pot, but have a heavy-bottomed saucepan, it's perfectly fine to braise meat on the stove-top as well. Some cooks prefer the oven method because it more evenly-distributes heat throughout the meat, while others prefer the simplicity of braising on the stove. Both methods result in tender and delicious beef.

BRAISED BEEF CUBE MIX

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Combine all ingredients in a large covered casserole or dutch oven. Stir until well-blended.
• Bake 3-4 hours until meat is tender. Cool.
• Put in eight 1-pint freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top. Seal and label containers. Freeze. Use within 3 months.

BEEF BRAISED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat oil in pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Meanwhile, pat meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Brown meat in hot oil on all sides, about 10 minutes total. (If bottom of pot begins to scorch, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to a plate using a fork and tongs.
• Add pancetta to oil in pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sauté, stirring, until garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer, then return meat along with any juices accumulated on plate to pot. Cover pot with lid and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board. Skim fat from surface of sauce and discard along with herb stems. Boil sauce until reduced by about one third, about 5 minutes, then season with salt. Cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and return to sauce.

BEEF TIPS

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Saute the onion until almost translucent.
• Add the stew meat and cook on high heat until meat is browned on all sides; about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour 2 cups water, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into the skillet. Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile combine the gravy mix with 1 cup water. Mix thoroughly and stir into the meat mixture. Bring to a boil stirring frequently until slightly thickened.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt and ground black pepper. Roll the ribs in the seasoned flour.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the ribs well on all sides. Pour in 1 cup boiling water, tomatoes, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.
• Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the pot. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until all vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter.
• In a separate small bowl, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons water for every one cup liquid remaining in the pot. Add this to the pot and stir well until thickened. Pour over meat and vegetables.

BRAISED CHEDDAR BEEF CUBES

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dip beef cubes in flour and brown in oil. Add bouillon cubes, onion, celery seed and water to meat. Cover and cook slowly 1 to 1 1/2 hours (It can be cooked in a crockpot on low for 6 hours).
• Add tomato sauce and brown sugar, continue cooking slowly for 20 minutes (Or in the crockpot add cheese and mushrooms now and cook for an additional hour) or until meat is tender.
• Add cheese and mushrooms and cook 10 minutes more. Serve over noodles or rice.

BRAISED CUBE STEAK

Steps:

• Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper.
• Put 1/2 cup flour on a plate, and coat each piece of meat. Shake off excess flour and add steak to pan, working in batches. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until browned, and remove to a platter.
• Add onions to skillet and cook about 3 minutes or until wilted. Stir to help loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Lower heat, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Stir constantly, cooking for about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add water or stock, continuing to stir to keep lumps at bay. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat to low and add steaks to pan. Simmer, partly covered, for 45 minutes. Remove to a platter and taste pan sauce, correcting for seasoning.

BEER-BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• Adjust rack to bottom third of oven, and preheat to 325 degrees. In a medium-large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet; set aside.
• Season beef with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot, and raise heat to medium high. Working in batches, brown meat, 1 to 2 minutes per side. As each batch is browned, transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
• If necessary, add remaining tablespoon oil. Lower heat to medium. Add onions, and deglaze with about 2 tablespoons ale, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add remaining ale, and bring to a boil, scraping any remaining browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
• Tie thyme, parsley, and bay leaves in a bundle with a piece of kitchen twine. Add to onions. Return bacon and beef to pan, pushing beef down into liquid. (The liquid will not completely cover beef). Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Remove herb bundle, and discard. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Serve hot.