Beef Daube With Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

4 lb Boneless beef chuck roast
2 Onions
3 Carrots
8 Thyme sprigs
2 Bay leaves
1 Rosemary sprig
2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Freshly ground pepper
4 Garlic cloves
4 each 1/2-inch strip orange peel
1 Bottle dry red wine, such as
Zinfandel or Burgundy (750
-ml)
1/3 cup Salt pork, minced
2 tbsp Flour
1 cup , water
2 oz Dried shiitake mushrooms
-broken into 2 or 3 pieces
-other left whole
12 oz Small pasta, such as
-seashells or orecchiette
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly
-grated
Parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS: Cut the chuck into 2 to 2-1/2-inch cubes. Trim off any
large pieces of fat. If using shanks, cut the meat from the bone in
pieces as large as possible. Place the meat in a large nonreactive
bowl.

Quarter 1 of the onions and add to the meat along with the carrots,
thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, half of the salt and half of the pepper,
2 garlic cloves and the orange peel. Pour the wine over all and turn
to mix and immerse the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the
refrigerator overnight, or at least 4 hours.

To cook, put the salt pork in a heavy-bottomed casserole large enough
to hold all ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat until the pork
releases its fat, about 5 minutes. Discard the crisped bits of pork.
Dice the remaining onion and mince the remaining garlic cloves. Add
to the pot and saute until translucent. Remove them with a slotted
spoon and set aside.

Drain the meat (reserve the marinade) and pat it as, dry as possible.
Add a few pieces of meat to the casserole (do not crowd) and saute
about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. The meat will darken, but
will not truly "brown." Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set
aside. Continue until all the meat has been sauteed.

Add the flour to the casserole and cook it until it browns, stirring
often. Increase the heat to high, and slowly pour in the reserved
marinade. Deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits clinging to the
bottom. Return the onions, garlic, meat and its juices to the pan.
Add the remaining salt and pepper, the water and the mushrooms and
bring to a near-boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover with a tight
fitting lid, and simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat can
be cut with a spoon and the liquid has thickened.

Remove from the heat. Discard the carrots, herb branches and the
onion quarters. Skim off some, but not all of, the fat (some is
necessary to coat the pasta).

Prepare the pasta according to package directions; drain well.
Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and ladle the sauce from the
daube over it, adding more salt and pepper, if desired. Top with 1/4
cup of the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the parsley.

Serve the daube directly from its casserole. Pass additional cheese
at the table. Serves 6 to 8.

PER SERVING: 665 calories, 35 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates 33 g fat
(14 g saturated) 108 mg cholesterol, 776 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 12/20/95.

Servings: 6

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