Tag Archives: chuck roast

Beef and White Bean Stew With Cumin

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A perfect cool weather dish, this stellar, hearty meal is great for double-date night, Sunday supper, Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah, just to name a few options. It could even work for a weeknight if made ahead of time, and then reheated for dinner.

A homey one-pot stew, it’s a mix of tender beef and white beans swimming in a velvety sauce, and is much brighter than its short ingredient list might indicate. That’s all thanks to the technique of slowly building layered flavor with beef fond, aromatics, spices, and acidic tomatoes. 

Make sure to brown the beef in at least two batches, the pieces need room around them in order to brown properly, not steam. In the final hour after the beans go in, remove the lid entirely for the last 30 minutes, to thicken the stew nicely.

There are several serving suggestions, such as, couscous (we used whole wheat pearl), a loaf of crusty bread, sautéed greens, or a crisp side salad (our side dish), all of which work well to offset the stew’s richness. As far as garnishes go, try harissa or sambol oelek—although we didn’t feel any was necessary.

Beef and White Bean Stew with Cumin

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces
  • 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 2 Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Hungarian hot paprika or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
  • 2 15-oz. cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup tomato purée
  • Steamed couscous and finely chopped parsley (for serving)

Directions

  1. Pat 3 pounds of boneless beef chuck roast dry with paper towels, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces, and season generously with kosher salt. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Working in batches and adding more oil between batches if pot looks dry, cook beef, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 large onion, finely chopped, and 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, to pot. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened and golden, 6–8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt; season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste.
  3. Return beef along with any accumulated juices to pot. Pour in 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low, partially cover pot, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until beef is tender and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 hours.
  4. Uncover pot and stir in two 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, and 1 cup tomato purée. Bring stew back to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, until beef is very tender and stew is thick, 60 minutes. Remove the lid entirely for the final 30 minutes to thicken the stew. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper if needed.
  5. Divide steamed couscous among shallow bowls and ladle stew over. Top with finely chopped parsley.

Do ahead: Stew can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Leah Koenig for Bon Appétit

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

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This Instant Pot take on a Jamaican-style Sunday meal was in a recent issue of Milk Street Magazine. It is adapted from “Caribbean Cooking Made Easy” by British-Jamaican reggae musician and chef Levi Roots.

Changes that Milk Street made included swapping in flavor-packed beef chuck and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, bolstered by bright chilies and ginger, savory scallions and earthy thyme. Then tomato paste and soy sauce added umami-rich depth, while brown sugar and warm allspice rounded everything out.

For faster, more even cooking, divide the chuck roast into two pieces by pulling it apart at its natural seams and trimming away excess fat. Tying both pieces with kitchen twine compacts the meat, allowing the roast to fit comfortably in the pot. You can pressure cook the beef quickly or slow cook it for a hands-off, all-day affair—regardless, it will emerge fragrant and fork tender. We did the fast method which took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, all said and done.

It’s difficult at best to find a 5-pound chuck roast, so if you have the same experience, just purchase two 2 1⁄2 pound roasts. Break each one down along the seam, remove large deposits of fat, then tie the two strips back together with kitchen twine.

Our habaneros were on the large size and I was a bit concerned they might be overwhelming. However, when the meal was ready for plating and we tasted the stew, the chili kick was mild and added a perfect depth of flavor.

Probably one of the few people on earth who don’t own an Instant Pot, we used our large pressure cooker which worked just as well. We both agreed, this was one wonderful pot roast, and the tender sweet potato chunks and velvety sauce just enhanced the meal even more! Full of fruity, sweet and spicy notes, this roast is great garnished with scallion greens or cilantro and served with a crisp, green salad.

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

  • Servings: 5-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately (reserve some greens as a garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 habanero chilies, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 5 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, separated at the seams into 2 pieces, trimmed of fat, the 2 pieces tied with kitchen twine at intervals
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Directions

  1. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Heat the oil until shimmering, then add the sugar, tomato paste, scallion whites, ginger, chilies and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, thyme, allspice and ½ cup water, then nestle in the beef.
  2. Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 1 hour.
  3. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 25 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
  4. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and tent with foil.
  5. Skim off and discard the fat from the cooking liquid. Stir in the sweet potatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Select Normal/Medium Sauté and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Transfer the potatoes to a platter.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3 tablespoons water, then whisk the mixture into the cooking liquid. Add the scallion greens and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the pot.
  8. Remove and discard the thyme, then stir in the lime juice. Slice the beef and arrange on the platter, then pour on some sauce. Garnish the platter with some scallion greens or chopped cilantro, and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Milk Street Magazine

Spanish Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Sherry

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The city of Jerez de la Frontera—commonly shortened to Jerez— is in a corner of the Andalusia region in southern Spain. It is home to sherry, the unique fortified wine that is produced in an area known as the Sherry Triangle. We were lucky enough to visit there a few years ago and experience a sherry tasting.

This beef stew got its origins in the “triangle.” It features tender, succulent pieces of beef, silky, supple mushrooms and a braising liquid rich with both sherry wine and sherry vinegar. The stew is familiar and comforting, yet deliciously different thanks to the wine’s tangy, nutty notes and the aged woodsiness and mellow acidity of the vinegar.

Milk Street adapted the recipe, adding a turnip along with the carrots and cinnamon to complement the wine. They say for this recipe simply seek a fino or manzanilla sherry—both are dry, bright and light, and therefore excellent counterpoints for the richness of the beef and mushrooms.

The sherry vinegar? If you can spare the expense, opt for gran reserva which is aged for at least 10 years and has a smooth, complex flavor, balanced acidity and mahogany hue. But, if that’s not an option, reserva (which we used) or any aged sherry vinegar, though less nuanced than gran reserva, will work perfectly well.

After one hour with the pot covered, there seemed to be too much liquid, so we left it uncovered to help some of that evaporate. After the hour and a half elapsed, we still weren’t happy with how watery it seemed so we removed the contents with a slotted spoon to a covered bowl, and reduced the liquid another 10 minutes. The beef, veggies and mushroom slices were added to the pot for the final 10 minutes.

The perfect meal on a lazy Sunday afternoon after a massive snowstorm… in fact, we both agreed, the BEST stew we’ve ever had! Confession, we were wiping our bowls clean of any residual sauce…

The original recipe claimed it would feed 4 to 6. If you served it over polenta or mashed potatoes, maybe 4 to 5? We got three portions. Next time we’ll add in another carrot and an extra turnip to make it more veggie-forward.

*NOTE: Don’t use sherry cooking wine or domestically produced “dry sherry.” To get the right complexity and balance of richness and acidity, look for fino or manzanilla sherry produced in Spain. Also, avoid sweet sherry for the obvious reasons.

Spanish Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Sherry

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1- to 1½-inch pieces
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
  • 1 small white turnip, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup fino or manzanilla sherry*
  • 1 qt. low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. good-quality aged sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 4 z. oyster or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the beef and garlic, then cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside; reserve the fat in the pot.
  2. To the same pot, add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook over medium, stirring often, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots, turnip, bay, cinnamon, paprika and nutmeg; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the sherry and bring to a simmer over medium-high, scraping up any browned bits; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the broth, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Return the beef and garlic, along with the accumulated juices, to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover partially. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the beef meets just a little resistance, about 1½ hours.
  6. Stir in the mushrooms and cover completely. Reduce to low and cook, stirring once or twice, until the mushrooms are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Off heat, remove and discard the cinnamon and bay. Taste and season with salt, pepper and additional vinegar, if needed.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Slavonian-Style Shepherd’s Stew with Croatian Mashed Potatoes

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This Slavonian-Style Shepherd’s Stew from the Slavonia region of Croatia, čobanac is a meat-centric stew rich with paprika and thickened in part by shredded root vegetables that break down during a long, slow simmer. Though referred to as shepherd’s stew (čoban translates as shepherd), the dish traditionally is made with not only lamb but also beef, pork and wild game. Milk Street simplified the dish using only beef; with chuck roast as the cut of choice for its meaty flavor, nice marbling and ample connective tissue that helps make a full-bodied broth.

NOTE: To achieve just the right amount of earthy flavor and an undercurrent of spicy heat, use both sweet and hot paprika. We didn’t have hot paprika, so 2 teaspoons sweet paprika plus ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper made a fine substitution. Be aware, this recipe uses a LOT of paprika, so make sure to have enough on hand from the start.

Simple dumplings are a classic—and delicious—addition to this stew, but they are not essential. If you’d like to include them, you can obtain the recipe from Milk Street online. The dough is made and added to the pot at the end of cooking. We chose to make the Croatian Mashed Potatoes instead (recipe follows).

TIP: The original recipe calls for 6 cups of water, but in the end, our broth was very thin and watery so we reduced it, uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. To avoid this, use only 4 cups water, or make and insert the dumplings which help soak up the liquid.

It is recommended not to use double-concentrated tomato paste (the type often sold in tubes) or the stew will end up tasting too tomatoey. As you cook the tomato paste and vegetable mixture, don’t worry if the paste sticks to the pot and begins to darken; this browning helps build depth of flavor.

Slavonian-Style Shepherd’s Stew

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: moderately easy
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Ingredients

  • 2½ lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems minced and leaves chopped, reserved separately
  • 4 Tbsp. tomato paste, divided
  • 4-6 cups water (see tip above)
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. hot paprika (see note above)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 Tbsp. brown mustard
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium, combine the oil, onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, garlic and parsley stems, then cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the ¼ cup sweet paprika, the hot paprika and bay. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the wine and 6 cups water, then bring to a simmer over medium-high, stirring often. (If not making the dumplings which help soak up some of the liquid, you may want to use only 4 cups water which will make the broth less thin.)
  3. Stir in the beef and return to a simmer. Reduce to low, cover and cook until a skewer inserted into the beef meets no resistance, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat. Tilt the pot to pool the cooking liquid to one side, then use a wide spoon to skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Remove and discard the bay.
  5. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons tomato paste, the remaining 2 tablespoons sweet paprika and the mustard. Whisk about 1 cup of the cooking liquid into the tomato paste mixture, then stir it into the pot. Return to a simmer over medium-high, then stir in the parsley leaves and half the dill. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the remaining dill.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Rebecca Richmond for Milk Street

Croatian Mashed Potatoes

Croatian restani krumpir is a hearty, rustic dish of mashed potatoes studded with onions that are sautéed until soft and sweet, oftentimes seasoned with paprika and brightened with fresh herbs. Milk Street’s version is a one-pot recipe—the onion is caramelized, removed and set aside while the potatoes cook. Rather than boiling whole or chunked potatoes in copious water, instead they are sliced unpeeled and steamed in a covered pot with only enough water to facilitate even cooking and prevent scorching. This keeps the potatoes from absorbing lots of moisture so the finished dish tastes rich and earthy instead of thin and washed-out. This dish is a perfect the Slavonian stew.

Tip: Don’t forget to rinse the sliced potatoes before cooking. Rinsing washes off excess starch so the finished dish has a creamy consistency and isn’t dense and gluey. Also, don’t undercook the potatoes—they should almost fall apart when poked with a skewer so they can be easily mashed with a wooden spoon.

Croatian Mashed Potatoes

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and sliced about ¼ inch thick
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • ¼ tsp. sweet paprika, plus more to serve
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives, divided

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well browned, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and set aside; reserve the pot.
  2. In a colander under cold running water, rinse the potatoes. Drain well, then add to the pot. Stir in ¾ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt, then distribute the potatoes in an even layer. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-­high. Reduce to medium and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the slices almost fall apart when poked with a skewer, 18 to 20 minutes.
  3. If there is water remaining in the pot, increase to medium-high and cook, uncovered and stirring often, until no moisture remains. (We had to cook ours another 7 minutes for the pot to become dry.)
  4. Reduce to low, add the butter and cook, stirring and mashing the potatoes with a spoon, until the butter is melted and incorporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  5. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the chives, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with additional paprika and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Milk Street

French Onion Pot Roast

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Is it soup, or is it an entrée? Call it whatever you want, but this richly flavored main dish is sure to get your attention. And once you taste the end product, you won’t believe how GOOD it is with very little work and not a lot of ingredients. It is rich folks, so a simple side salad pairs well.

We already know that a large chunk of time is necessary to achieve a successful fork-tender, falling-apart pot roast. Like at least three hours in the oven, depending on the size of your roast. But the good news is the low and slow oven does most of that flavor-building for you.

The credit for this recipe goes to 12tomatoes.com. Of course we usually have to make some changes to suit our preferences, one of which was the addition of four large garlic cloves. Plus we sautéed the onion and garlic in the braising pot after removing the seared roast. And next time (because that WILL be happening) we intend to increase the number of onions to 5 or 6. Then midway through the braising, about 90 minutes in, the roast was turned over so that both sides made contact with the bed of caramelizing onions.

Three cups of broth results in a brothier outcome, so if loose and yummy is your desire, stick with that. If you want more of a slice-able pot roast with French onion flavor, scale the broth back to two cups—although we don’t advise it. Much the same way it does in the original French Onion Soup incarnation, the bread soaks up a good bit of that beefy, oniony, brothy deliciousness here.

TIP: Culinary bear claws work best for shredding the roast after the braising step.

French Onion Pot Roast

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb. chuck roast
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-6 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (you might not need the entire loaf)
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Season roast liberally with salt and pepper, and some of the thyme.
  3. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
  4. Once oil is hot, add roast and sear until deep brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove roast and set aside.
  5. Add onions and garlic to pot, sauté for 4-5 minutes. Nestle the remaining thyme into the onions, place the chuck roast on top, add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Lay a sheet of parchment over the top of the pot extending beyond the edges, cover, and transfer to oven.
  6. After 90 minutes, turn the roast over, recover the pot with parchment and lid, then cook another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, for a total of 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
  7. Remove from oven and remove thyme sprigs. Shred beef into chunks.
  8. Turn oven to broil on high.
  9. Top with baguette slices and Gruyere and return to oven, uncovered. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Under our gas broiler it took 5 minutes before the cheesy baguettes became golden brown.)

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Two Countries, One Meal

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A rare cool, rainy Sunday afforded us the opportunity to cook a slow braised dish for a summer dinner. While thumbing through several favorite cookbooks, I happened upon this Roman Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Cloves in Milk Streets “The New Rules” by Courtney Hill.

The “new rule: don’t sear your meat” goes against something we typically do, brown our meat beforehand. But because you cook it uncovered for the last hour or so, the meat will brown at the end of the process.

Pot roast comes to mind with this meal, and in Rome, cloves are used to flavor the dish known as “Garofolato di Manzo alla Romana” because cloves are called chiodi di garofano. Here, the earthy, subtly smoky and slightly bitter flavor of cloves complements the natural sweetness of onion, fennel and tomatoes.

Milk Street advises not to use ground cloves that have gone stale, as they won’t add much flavor or fragrance to the braise. If your cloves have been in the pantry for more than a few months, uncap and take a whiff. The aroma should be sharp and strong. If not, pony up and get a new jar.

Unlike pot roast where you cook the large piece of meat whole, the beef is cut into chunks and simmered as a stew resulting in succulent meat throughout. Polenta is an excellent accompaniment for absorbing the flavorful sauce. In a unique pairing, we wedded the meat with another Milk Street recipe Spanish Green Beans with Ham, Almonds and Smoked Paprika.

This recipe is an adaptation of the remarkably delicious green beans from Extremadura, Spain, home of pimentón, aka Spanish smoked paprika. For perfectly crisp and tender beans, cooking techniques are combined. You start by searing the veggies in a hot pan to develop browning and flavor. Then add water and a tight fitting lid to steam them until tender. Voila!

Roman Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Cloves

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 6-7 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • ¾ tsp. ground cloves
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 4 oz. pancetta, roughly chopped
  • 6 med. garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 med. yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 med. fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, cored and thinly sliced
  • 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Place the beef in a large bowl and season with the cloves, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
  2. In a large Dutch oven over low, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until sizzling and the fat has begun to render, about 5 minutes.
  3. Increase the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces begin to brown, another 7 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, onion and fennel, then increase to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6 minutes.
  5. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beef, then cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.
  6. Remove the pot from the oven. Stir, then return to the oven uncovered. Cook until a skewer inserted into a piece of beef meets no resistance, another 1 to 1½ hours.
  7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl. With a wide spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, then bring to a boil over medium-high, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until the liquid has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 12 minutes.
  8. Stir in the thyme, then return the beef to the pot. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is heated through, about 5 minutes.
  9. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Spanish Green Beans with Ham, Almonds and Smoked Paprika

First, the almonds. Begin by toasting them in olive oil to deepen their nutty flavor, then add the garlic and thinly sliced serrano ham, cooking the mixture until the meat crisps and the garlic is fragrant. Then remove that mixture from the pan and add the green beans and char them in the flavorful fond left behind. 

For the final flourish of smoked paprika, first deglaze the pan with another 1⁄4 cup water, scraping up any remaining flavorful bits, then remove the pan from the burner and stir the spice in off heat. This preserves the paprika’s smoky aroma, resulting in a pan sauce that is as quick as it is deeply smoky-savory.

Don’t stir the beans too often after adding them to the pan. Stirring only a few times allows the beans to take on some char that adds flavor the finished dish. If you’re entertaining more than four people with the braised beef dinner, you’ll want to double this bean recipe.

My mistake here was using a nonstick skillet so the beans didn’t get as good a sear as I wanted. But in the end since there were no browned bits left in the pan, there was no reason to perform Step 5. Instead, I just sprinkled the smoked paprika right onto the finished beans, stirred and served. OMG, so friggin’ good!!

Spanish Green Beans with Ham, Almonds and Smoked Paprika

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • 2 oz. thinly sliced serrano ham or prosciutto, sliced into ¼-inch-wide ribbons
  • 2 med. garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch skillet (don’t use nonstick) over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the almonds and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the ham and garlic and cook, stirring, until the ham crisps and the garlic is fragrant, another 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
  3. To the same skillet over medium-high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until smoking. Add the beans and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring only a few times, until the beans are lightly charred, about 4 minutes.
  4. Return the ham-almond mixture to the pan and add ¼ cup water. Cover, reduce to low and cook, occasionally shaking the pan, until the beans are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish.
  5. Set the skillet over medium-high and add ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until the liquid has reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat and stir in the paprika. Drizzle the sauce over the beans and serve.

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