Braised Beef with Porcini Mushrooms and Red Wine

Digital Flexor Meat is great substitute for Pot Roast if you are a small household. The meat cooks up into an attractive oval shape that can be sliced for an elegant presentation. Since the oven is on for a long period of time, adding pans of vegetables and potatoes at the 2-hour mark to roast alongside makes an easy and delicious meal.
Yield 4 Servings Prep. Time 15 min Cooking Time 210 min Total Time 225 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 1 oz (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
  • 4 whole small-sized Beef Digital Flexor Meat (EACH about 10 to 12 oz/300 to 375 g)
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (250 mL) finely diced onion
  • ½ cup (125 mL) finely diced carrot
  • ½ cup (125 mL) finely diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup (250 mL) dry red wine
  • 2 cups (500 mL) beef broth
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp/1 mL dried)
  • 1 small sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Method

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Place the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour in boiling water. Let soak while preparing the remaining ingredients.

  2. Season the meat all over with salt and pepper to your taste. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large enamelled cast-iron roaster with a tight-fitting lid. Add beef and cook, turning with tongs, until browned on all sides (it will curl while cooking and this is fine). Transfer to a plate.

  3. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley to the pot and reduce heat low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the vegetables soften and start to brown. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits stuck to pot. Return meat and any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in broth, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary bay leaf and ½ tsp (2 mL).

  4. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and add to the pot. Carefully pour the mushroom water into the pot leaving any sediment behind. Cover with the lid and cook in preheated 300ºF oven for 2 hours, check every hour to ensure that the liquid comes halfway up the beef and adding water, if needed to maintain that level. Turn beef over, cover and cook for about 1 hour longer or until beef is fork-tender and the sauce lightly thickened.

  5. Transfer beef to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Strain the vegetables out of the liquid, if desired, or leave them in the sauce. Discard herb stems and bay leaf. Slice each piece of beef across the grain into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick slices and spoon sauce over to serve.