on Jan 29th, 2008Coffee-braised beef
Oh, I know. It sounds bizarre. So did Coca-Cola ham till I tried it.
This appeared in my Epicurious Healthy Dinners widget a few weeks ago. Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods, especially for economical cuts of beef, and running across nice chuck roasts on sale made this especially thrifty.
I don’t mind admitting I had my doubts when I put it into the oven; all I could smell was the coffee. Within an hour or so, the fragrance of the citrus predominated and I began to relax. By the time it was done, the kitchen smelled of beef, not of any single ingredient.
And the taste? I’ve struggled with this description because, again, no ingredient in the sauce dominated the others, and it’s definitely a sauce that’s produced, not a gravy. It has a deep, complex flavor that brings a bit of refinement to the dish. For instance, pot roast cries out for mashed potatoes or spuds cooked right in the pot. Not so here. After trying it my first thought, with respect to potatoes, was fingerlings drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and roasted.
If you have enameled cast iron, this is a perfect recipe for it. I used a large braiser, but any big pot or Dutch oven will be fine, as long as it has a very tight-fitting lid. Any doubts, put a sheet of aluminum foil between the pot and the lid. If you want to try it in a slow cooker, I’d guess eight hours or so on low; a large skillet will handle the stovetop work.
As for the coffee, I used nothing special, Maxwell House. Some for the pot, some for me.
Coffee-braised Beef with Cinnamon and Orange
Adapted from Gourmet, October 2006
1 large onion, choppedÂ
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups strong brewed coffee (10 ounces)
3 strips orange zest (I had a tangerine and used it)
1Â cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1Â boneless beef chuck roast, 3 1/2 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees/165C/Gas 3.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, until golden, 5 -7 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute more.
Carefully add about one-fourth of the coffee to the pot; it will sizzle and hiss in the very hot pot. Add the remainder, along with the citrus peel, cinnamon stick and brown sugar. Let simmer about one minute.
Thoroughly season the beef with salt and pepper, add to the pan, cover tightly and set in the oven. Let cook until fork-tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Transfer beef to a serving platter to rest briefly while you remove the cinnamon stick from the sauce and skim fat from the top. [I used a gravy strainer; there was a fair amount of fat. ella]Â Serve with sauce.
Serves 6 - 8
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So the meat is not first seared and then the veggies at a lower heat? The meat turned out ok in color and appealingness, so to speak? The flavor combination of orange and cinnamon really intrigues me, and one just has to take your word for it about the coffee, and take the leap. Everyone is descending here for the weekend for football - gah! This would be a good meal to serve to the hoard the day before they do their ribs and other manly man food. (hmmph! I love ribs!)
Thanks for the try out and the as ever gorgeous photo which helps inspire.
Hi there, Poet! Right, not seared, which surprised me too, but it was really so good. It was so tender that when I lifted it carefully with tongs, the end sort of fell away, as in the 2nd picture. Mine was just over 3 pounds and 3.5 hours was perfect.
If you’re feeding a crowd…I have a favorite recipe coming up, Thursday or Friday, in a piece about slow cookers. It’s pulled pork and beef barbeque and 3# of meat yields a dozen sandwiches. Everybody loves them and guys usually eat 2. I got the recipe long before I had a slow cooker so I came up with a stove and oven method too.
Ribs, yum, and hot, hot wings. Why is it some of the messiest foods taste the best?
This sounds easy, and looks delicious. I’m definitely trying this one!
Hi - sounds YUMMY.
Recently tried marinating chicken in ‘beer’, local brew’ … worked like a charm. Sometimes the very best comes from mixing up what’s ‘on hand’. Gonna ‘blogroll’ you for a bit, ‘c’.
moonbeam - It really couldn’t be easier and it is delicious. I never post a new-to-me recipe unless I plan to make it again. Honest. For every one I post there are 5 or 6 I’ve tried that aren’t worth an encore. Like the chicken dish I just made…
canadada Hi! I’d love to hear more about that marinade. A few years ago a lot of people were gaga over grilling a chicken vertically with an open can of beer up its tush. I finally got to taste it and I’m still wondering what the hoopla was about! But a marinade makes sense.
Thanks for blogrolling me; I’ve returned the favor and recommend everyone check out your short stories.
I’m in the process of making this right now. Wish me luck, as it seems a little more complicated than Tuna Dump. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
That Tuna Dump post is another classic. I hope everyone who needs a laugh will click on your name, here or in the blogroll, and savor it.
Do let me know if you liked this. You don’t even have to use the apple thingie.
Ella, it was fantastic! I had to sort of improvise on a couple of things (ground cinnamon instead of stick and I had to make my own roasting pan cover using a foil tent), but it was heavenly. I threw some potatoes and baby carrots into the pan and cooked those along with the meat. I finally had to take the roast off of the table, or we would have eaten the whole thing (and there are only two of us). Thanks!
I’m so glad you two liked it! Thanks for letting me know. I improviise all the time. And aren’t baby carrots the best? I’ll have to toss some in next time.
BTW, like most braises, it will only be better tomorrow….