BRAISED BEEF!!!

Braised dishes are often times a chef's most prized possession, meaning, if you see a braised "anything" on a menu (not including your chain restaurants) you should order it.  It will be more expensive, but well worth the added price.  My favorite things to braise are beef shanks, sometimes called osso bucco in Italian restaurants and beef short ribs.  However, they are pretty expensive and since I'm not making a killing off of being a college student who writes a food blog, I will not be using those ingredients.  The ideal braising beef is any of your less desirable cuts, for example the round is excellent.  Today however, I am breaking my own rule.  I braised this dish with the remainder of the beef loin used to make beef wellingtons for Xmas (if I get enough requests I'll do a post on it).  Nothing changes for you if you are using the round or another cut of beef.  Mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus are the perfect sides for this dish!

Braised Beef

2 lbs beef round (cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch steaks)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups red wine (not your finest vintage, but it should be good enough to drink from a glass)
1 cup beef stock (not broth)
1 yellow onion, large dice
1/2 cup carrot, large dice
1/2 cup celery, large dice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter

Place a large skillet with high vertical sides on your burner set to medium high heat.  Allow the pan to become hot, then add in your olive oil.  Dust your steaks with all purpose flour and place into the skillet.  Cook each side for 2-3 minutes to create a crust.  If after 3 minutes you do not have a crust yet, continue cooking until you do.  You do not want to cook the meat all the way, so be sure not to over do it!  Remove the steaks from the pan and set aside.  Add in another tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter, heat for 1 minute.  Add in the carrots, garlic, onion, and celery.  Cook the veggies for five minutes, or until softened. Sprinkle in your 2 tablespoons flour and stir into a paste (a roux).  Reduce your heat to medium low, and cook for ten minutes.  At this point add in your red wine and beef stock.  Mix together quickly and thoroughly then add in your thyme.  Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should not be too thick, but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (dip a spoon in the sauce, the sauce should coat the spoon without it dripping off).  Add the steaks into the sauce, the steaks should be mostly covered by the sauce, if not, add more beef stock.  Cover the skillet with tin foil and place into a preheated oven set at 200.  Cook for 5 hours!!! I know it, I know it....FIVE hours!! Yes, five hours.  Its how the meat will be fall apart tender and super delicious!!!  It is very important to check it every hour or so and flip the steaks over.  Make sure the liquid level never falls below covering half of the steaks, 3/4 would be best. 

After the five hours is over remove the skillet from the oven, and remove the steaks from the skillet.  Remove the thyme sprigs and throw away.  Now ladle the sauce and veggies into your blender and mix well.  Your could skip this step if you have an immersion blender and just blend in the skillet( I highly recommend this piece of kitchen equipment, it is a lifesaver!)  Return sauce to skillet, turn heat to high.  Allow the sauce to boil, then add in 2 tablespoons butter, stirring while the butter melts.  Place steaks into sauce to heat.  Then place a steak onto of a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes, and ladle sauce onto the steak...don't be shy with the sauce!!!