Braised Blade of beef
By Ian Howell
Serves 4
Preparation time: Under one hour (plus overnight refrigeration)
Cooking: Approx. 5 hours
Ingredients
2 kilo blade of beef
100ml vegetable/groundnut oil
50g unsalted butter
Mirepoix
2 carrots – chopped
2 leeks – chopped
2 onions – chopped
2 celery sticks – chopped
1 garlic head
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of thyme
Bottle of red wine
1 litre of chicken stock
Garnish
5 roasted shallots
200g mashed potato
200g girolles
Handful of thyme sprigs
Ian’s Tips
1. Mirepoix is a culinary term for a mixture of equal amounts of finely diced carrot, onion and celery, often seasoned with herbs, and sauteed in butter until just softened.
2. The ideal beef for this dish is Red Poll. Polled cattle are cattle that don’t grow horns!
3. I’d recommend the new Adnams Selection Côtes du Rhône to go with this dish. Deep in colour, it has a lovely fruity aroma and tastes of liquorice and sloes –my absolute favourite.
Method
- Trim the blade of beef of all fat.
- In a large pan, heat some vegetable/groundnut oil then add the blade and sear around to achieve a nice crust.
- Remove from pan and add the mirepoix of vegetables, colour and de-glaze with red wine.
- When done, add the beef back, cover with chicken stock and cook slowly at 140° for 4-5 hours until the beef is tender.
- Remove the beef and let it rest, reduce the braising liquid and then pass this to remove vegetables and keep this for the sauce.
- While the beef is rested, roll first in cling film then in tin foil to achieve a cylinder shape and set in the fridge overnight.
- To serve the beef, cut in four even pieces and then remove the wrapping.
- Heat a frying pan, add a knob of butter and caramelize the beef on top.
- Turn over, add the braising liquid then place in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes to re-heat all the way through while basting the beef.
- I like to finish with a simple garnish that compliments the big flavours of the succulent beef. Try a simple mashed potato, roasted shallots and girolles lightly fried in butter, topped with tender branches of fried thyme.