Not for the faint of heart! Or for making on the hottest day of the year (yes, I'm a big goof).
A few months ago I bought the book "Sauces : Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making" by James Peterson. The book is a fantastic teacher - though many of the recipes are still far over my head, making this recipe from the book was the most challenging thing I've attempted (and the name is so darned simple!).
So - here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
Beef Shank - 4 pounds, or 1.8 kilos sans bone
Fatback - 8oz
Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped - 2
Cooking Brandy (or Cognac for you fancy types) several tablespoons
Carrots - chopped - 2 medium
Onions, Chopped - 2 medium
Red Wine - 1 - 750ml bottle
Bouquet Garni - 1
EVOO - 3 oz
Garlic Cloves, crushed - 2
Butter - 3 tablespoons
Flour - 4 tablespoons
Brown meat stock - 3 cups
How to make it:
6:00am - slice your fatback into thin strips and set to marinate in your chopped garlic and brandy (or cognac). Let it marinate at least 3 hours. - see pic below.
6:30am - cut your beef into 3-oz cubes, set aside.
9:30am - Insert one strip of fatback into each beef cube using a larding needle or a paring knife (I found this to be challenging at first, but it became easier over time)
10:00am - In a large bowl, set your beef cubes to marinate with the onions, carrots, leftover marinade from the fatback (garlic and brandy), red wine, and bouquet garni - see pic below.
Marinate for several hours.
2:00pm - Carefully drain your marinade in a colander over a bowl. Reserve the marinade liquid. Separate your meat from the veggies and bouquet garni. Separate the bouquet garni from the veggies and set in your marinade liquid for now. Thoroughly dry the meat.
2:15pm - Heat the EVOO in a straight-sided saute pan (or large pot) and brown the meat in it. I did this lightly - almost searing the outsides, but trying not to cook the insides too much.
2:20pm - Transfer the meat to a bowl, and discard the burnt oil. Sweat the chopped vegetables and crushed garlic in fresh butter in the saute pan (5 minutes). Sprinkle the vegetables with flour (optional) and cook gently for 5 minutes more.
2:30pm - Add the marinade liquid, meat stock, and bouquet garni to the sweated vegetables and bring the mixture to a simmer while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
2:45pm - Transfer the contents of the saute pan to a 4-quart pot (I used my large stone stewing pot). Add the meat (stir slightly so the meat is covered). Cover and cook at 300 degrees F in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the meat cubes are easily pierced with a fork.
5:30pm - Using a large straining ladle, ladle your meat and veggies into a large bowl. Carefully pour your strained liquid into a large saucepan. On med-low heat, bring it to a slow simmer and skim off any froth or fat that floats to the surface.
Next, pick your meat out of the veggies carefully, and set aside on a plate. Then, puree your veggies and bouquet garni (and some of the fat back if you have slices floating around). Add the pureed veggie mixture to your simmering liquid. Stir it in thoroughly.
Add your meat back into the pot, and let it sit on med-low heat (not quite a full simmer) for a bit until everything is reheated (20 minutes or so).
This is a great time to get potatoes started for a side of mashed potatoes!
Serve with mashed potatoes (or if you're really into a laborious meal, make steamed dumplings/bread such as knedlicky to serve with the meal).
**************
I'm terribly sorry for the lack of pictures (always excuses). My batteries died shortly after I took pictures of the marinade and I didn't get around to replacing them until well after dinner was served and eaten.
However, after seeing how rapidly the dinner was gobbled up, I would say that this portion makes enough for 4-5 good sized servings. I had a modest portion, and the two guys each had a large portion, and we have enough for one more good sized serving for a lucky person.
Enjoy!!
Jen
A few months ago I bought the book "Sauces : Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making" by James Peterson. The book is a fantastic teacher - though many of the recipes are still far over my head, making this recipe from the book was the most challenging thing I've attempted (and the name is so darned simple!).
So - here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
Beef Shank - 4 pounds, or 1.8 kilos sans bone
Fatback - 8oz
Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped - 2
Cooking Brandy (or Cognac for you fancy types) several tablespoons
Carrots - chopped - 2 medium
Onions, Chopped - 2 medium
Red Wine - 1 - 750ml bottle
Bouquet Garni - 1
EVOO - 3 oz
Garlic Cloves, crushed - 2
Butter - 3 tablespoons
Flour - 4 tablespoons
Brown meat stock - 3 cups
How to make it:
6:00am - slice your fatback into thin strips and set to marinate in your chopped garlic and brandy (or cognac). Let it marinate at least 3 hours. - see pic below.
6:30am - cut your beef into 3-oz cubes, set aside.
9:30am - Insert one strip of fatback into each beef cube using a larding needle or a paring knife (I found this to be challenging at first, but it became easier over time)
10:00am - In a large bowl, set your beef cubes to marinate with the onions, carrots, leftover marinade from the fatback (garlic and brandy), red wine, and bouquet garni - see pic below.
Marinate for several hours.
2:00pm - Carefully drain your marinade in a colander over a bowl. Reserve the marinade liquid. Separate your meat from the veggies and bouquet garni. Separate the bouquet garni from the veggies and set in your marinade liquid for now. Thoroughly dry the meat.
2:15pm - Heat the EVOO in a straight-sided saute pan (or large pot) and brown the meat in it. I did this lightly - almost searing the outsides, but trying not to cook the insides too much.
2:20pm - Transfer the meat to a bowl, and discard the burnt oil. Sweat the chopped vegetables and crushed garlic in fresh butter in the saute pan (5 minutes). Sprinkle the vegetables with flour (optional) and cook gently for 5 minutes more.
2:30pm - Add the marinade liquid, meat stock, and bouquet garni to the sweated vegetables and bring the mixture to a simmer while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
2:45pm - Transfer the contents of the saute pan to a 4-quart pot (I used my large stone stewing pot). Add the meat (stir slightly so the meat is covered). Cover and cook at 300 degrees F in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the meat cubes are easily pierced with a fork.
5:30pm - Using a large straining ladle, ladle your meat and veggies into a large bowl. Carefully pour your strained liquid into a large saucepan. On med-low heat, bring it to a slow simmer and skim off any froth or fat that floats to the surface.
Next, pick your meat out of the veggies carefully, and set aside on a plate. Then, puree your veggies and bouquet garni (and some of the fat back if you have slices floating around). Add the pureed veggie mixture to your simmering liquid. Stir it in thoroughly.
Add your meat back into the pot, and let it sit on med-low heat (not quite a full simmer) for a bit until everything is reheated (20 minutes or so).
This is a great time to get potatoes started for a side of mashed potatoes!
Serve with mashed potatoes (or if you're really into a laborious meal, make steamed dumplings/bread such as knedlicky to serve with the meal).
**************
I'm terribly sorry for the lack of pictures (always excuses). My batteries died shortly after I took pictures of the marinade and I didn't get around to replacing them until well after dinner was served and eaten.
However, after seeing how rapidly the dinner was gobbled up, I would say that this portion makes enough for 4-5 good sized servings. I had a modest portion, and the two guys each had a large portion, and we have enough for one more good sized serving for a lucky person.
Enjoy!!
Jen
I'll post up the recipe tomorrow.
