Sylvie’s Beef Merlot
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) stewing beef cubes
- 6 juniper berries, crushed with a knife blade
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 celery stalk (including leaves), sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1⁄2 cups Merlot or other dry red wine
- 2 tbsp Beef & Steak Seasoning
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1⁄2 cup beef broth
- 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
- Sea Salt, to taste
- 8 oz (225 g) whole button mushrooms, optional
Preparation
- In a large bowl, stir beef, juniper berries, parsley, garlic, onion, celery, bay leaf, wine, Beef & Steak Seasoning and Black Peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate to marinate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
- Remove beef from marinade and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Strain marinade. Reserve onion, bay leaf and celery.
- Working in batches, brush Wok or frying pan with oil and brown meat over medium-high heat. Remove pieces to a bowl as they are done.
- When all beef is browned, melt butter in wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir often until it is a deep nutty brown. Stir in reserved marinade, onion, bay leaf, celery and beef broth.
- Bring to a boil, then add beef, carrots and Sea Salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1⁄2 hours, until beef is tender. Stir in mushrooms for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with boiled potatoes.
Epicure Products Used
Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 320, Fat 12 g (Saturated 4.5 g, 0.1 0 g), Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 80 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g (Fiber 2 g, Sugars 7 g), Protein 27 g.
Tips
For best results, marinate beef overnight before cooking. Skip it if you’re time-pressed.
Make it a Big Batch: Double the recipe and cook in a slow cooker.