Braising Season Has Arrived!

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Cuisine at Home is this really killer culinary magazine that I subscribe to.  It's published just once every 2 months and it's arrival is awaited with much anticipation.  The most current issue has a special little section on Bistro Dining - just perfect for that chuck roast I've got in the freezer.

If you know me, you know I love a good braise, especially one marinated in an entire bottle of Pinot Noir.  The recipe I found for Beef Daube (pronounced Dob) was ideal for a Sunday.  I sure do wish it was just a little bit cooler- at least less than 80.  Oh well.  Our 'winter' is nearly upon us and ya'll northerners will be jealous soon.

Oh my God, I just stumbled on Hee Haw on the TV!  This is sooo cool.  They just did that corn field bit where the guests and regulars tell those 'corny' jokes.  Hang on, hang on, Buck Owens is singing "My Heart Skips a Beat."  Can you believe this is an hour long program and that he came from Bakersfield, CA?

Okay, back to Beef Daube.  There are as many variations on this technique as there are .....Linda Ronstadt singing a song on a porch in an outfit that I bought yesterday at Macy's.  What comes around, goes around.  Should have kept that peasant top and the shiny boots.

Trim, chunk and marinate a 3 pound chuck roast in a bottle of  red wine, thyme, garlic, parsley, 1 juiced orange and half of that orange's peel, salt, pepper and bay leaves.  I'm at 8 hours, but you can go for 24 if you want.  Remove meat from marinade.  Strain marinade, toss aromatics and reserve liquid.  Blot meat with a paper towel and dredge in flour.   Cook 4 slices of bacon in a dutch oven on high heat, remove bacon and brown off meat in batches. Set meat aside on paper towels.  Add some carrots, boiling onions, and a few quartered fennel bulbs.....time out for Merle Haggard.  He looks pretty good.  I wonder if this was before his prison time?  Let's hear it for the bad boys.  Nice tune.

Deglaze with 2 cups of the marinade, add the tomatoes and the beef stock (home made if possible). Add the meat back to the pot, cover and cook in a 325 degree oven for 2-3 hours.   

"Hey Grandpa, what's for supper?"  - black eyed peas with salted pork belly, tomatoes in a can and cherry cobbler, the best you've ever had. Wish I were there for dinner, too.

Serve beef daube over egg noodles or waxy red spuds with just a touch of parmesan, fresh parsley and more red wine!!

Merle's gettin' double billing tonight!  I watched this show a lot as a kid.  The humor is simple, as is the music and the food suggestions from Grandpa. For some reason, it just seems to fit.  Maybe not with Beef Daube, but it's making me smile and my 11 year old daughter miserable.  Although, if you think about it the recipe I'm sending to you is just stew.  Perhaps a bit uppity for Korn Field County, but I'd bet Grandpa would shout this out through his window panes.  He might even suggest some baked grits as an accompaniement. 

Live well, Eat well - Cheers,  Heidi