Merlot Braised Beef

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb stewing beef, cubed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced (and leaves)
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 juniper berries, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups merlot or 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup beef stock or 1/4 cup water
• 2 carrots, cut in 1-inch lengths
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup pearl onion
• 1 cup button mushroom
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 in large bowl, combine beef, sliced onion, celery, garlic, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, juniper berries, wine, thyme and pepper; cover and marinate in refrigerator doe 12 to 24 hours.
• 2 remove beef; sprinkle with flour and set aside.
• 3 strain marinade through sieve into bowl, pressing solids; set marinade aside.
• 4 in skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown beef in batches.
• 5 transfer to bowl.
• 6 add 1 tbsp butter to pan.
• 7 stir in sugar, cook until deep nutty brown.
• 8 stir in reserved marinade and stock, averting eyes to avoid splatters.
• 9 add beef, carrots and salt; cover and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beef is tender, about 1 ½ hours.
• 10 meanwhile, in skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat; cook pearl onions until browned, 12 minutes.
• 11 with slotted spoon, transfer to stew.
• 12 add mushrooms to skillet; simmer for 10 minutes.
• 13 serve sprinkled with parsley.
• 14 popovers-----------------.
• 15 in bowl, whisk egg with milk; stir in flour and salt until blended but still lumpy.
• 16 spoon into well-buttered jumbo muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
• 17 place in center of cold oven.
• 18 heat oven to 450f; bake for 25 minutes.
• 19 with skewer, puncture each popover; bake for 10 minutes or until puffed.
• 20 (make ahead; let cool; cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours. reheat in 325f oven for 5-10 minutes).