Red Wine Braised Beef

February 1, 2012
I will gladly admit to being a wine-o. It’s not in an “I have a problem” kind of way, but in an “I have one of those good problems” kind of way.
I love adding wine to almost everything I cook. Seriously, look back at some of my recipes. If it isn’t wine in the mix, it’s beer.
There are so many complex flavors and notes in wine. It can add so much depth to a simple dish. I could go into a Sideways-esque rant about notes and tannins, but that would just be me talking out my ass. I have no idea about wine tasting. All I know is if I like it or not. I’m a sucker for the 3-Buck Chuck deal at Trader Joe’s. I am but a simple woman with simple desires.
My newest obsession is cooking noodles in wine. Call it a waste of a good bottle of wine, but don’t knock it until you have tried it!
This dish is best on a day when you have some time to devote a little love and attention to what you are making, i.e. four hours.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…Nobody wants to come home from work and cook for four hours. I am not telling you to! Geez!
Seriously though, it’s maybe ten minutes of prep work (well, possibly more if you suck at peeling pearl onions like I do) and then you let the wine and your oven take it from there.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. Beef Tenderloin
1 Teaspoon of Salt
½ Teaspoon of Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon of All Purpose Flour
8oz. Gold Pearl Onions, peeled
¾ Bottle of Your Favorite Full-Bodied Red Wine (i.e. Cabernet,Shiraz, Chianti)
2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed
1 Dry Bay Leaf
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cut the beef into small cubes. Season the beef with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let the beef sit at room temperature for twenty minutes.
Add the butter to a cast iron skillet/oven-safe dish/dutch oven and melt it over high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the beef, making sure all pieces are coated. Add the beef to the pan. Sear each side of the beef for about a minute.
Add in the pearl onions and cook an additional two minutes. Turn down the heat to medium, add the red wine, and deglaze the pan.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook in the oven for about four hours.
Before serving remove the bay leaf.
I eat this as a sauce over pasta but it is also kind of like a semi-stew that can be eaten as a main course as well.
 
So, if you have time, pour a bottle of wine over some beef, save a little for yourself, and sit back and enjoy this glorious day. 60 degrees inChicago. In January?
Better get out and enjoy it while you can! (Well, unless it’s crappy weather where you are. If so, I apologize.)

You Might Also Like

  • Sadye
    January 21, 2014 at 11:24 am

    Internet people — MAKE THIS NOW! Seriously it has one of the best proportions of work to deliciousness. Hardly any prep work, nice short ingredient list, and amazing payoff!

    • Stefanie
      January 21, 2014 at 11:49 am

      OMG I’m blushing! Stop it! Thank you so much!