Best Braised Beef With Caper Sauce Recipes

BRAISED BEEF WITH GRAVY-LIKE SAUCE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Start preheating the oven to 350F.
• If you like garlic and want to add a couple of full heads, it's a creamy deliciousness once cooked, do as follows. Remove as much loose skin as you can. Cut off about a quarter to one third from one end. Garlic heads will go in the braising pan later, while some of the cut off pieces can be used in this recipe in place of the two required garlic cloves and the rest can be saved for other uses.
• Heat the olive oil with two tablespoons of butter in a braising pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the braising pan and set aside.
• Add the onions, mushrooms, shallots, carrots and leeks. Saute until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue sauteing for another minute.
• Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and let it melt, while constantly stirring. Turn the heat down to low. Have the broth ready. Add the flour and stir briskly until it is fully incorporated. Pour in the broth, turn the heat up to medium high and let the liquid mixture come up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, constantly stirring, until the mixture starts to thicken. It shouldn't take long, less than a minute. Remove from heat.
• Add the pepper and nutmeg, stir, then salt to taste. Stir in the red wine vinegar. The sauce may taste a little too tart right after you add the vinegar, but it will be perfect by the time it's done cooking.
• Nestle beef pieces and garlic heads, if using, in the sauce, spreading them out evenly. If using, place the garlic bulbs cut side up. Garlic smell can be quite strong, so add those bulbs only if you love garlic and have a good ventilation in the kitchen. If you place it cut side down, the sauce will get infused with garlic too much.
• Cover and braise in the oven at 350F for 3-4 hours. I think the beef only gets better if cooked a little longer.
• Serve with freshly made mashed potatoes, garnish with chopped fresh herbs, and enjoy.

GRANDPA'S BRAISED BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions, and garlic to the hot oil and sweat them until very soft and very light caramel in color, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan. Pat the meat dry and season very liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat to a deep brown all over, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Peel the potatoes and very thinly slice them lengthwise into planks. Slice the tomatoes working over a bowl to catch their juices.
• Arrange 1/2 the onions over top of the meat, season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme. Arrange 1/2 the potatoes over the onions and dress the potatoes with a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, salt, pepper, rosemary, and a handful freshly grated cheese. Top the potatoes with 1/2 the tomatoes and their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter a few leaves of torn basil. Repeat the layers. Do not add basil to the top layer of tomatoes.
• Cover the pan and roast the meat in the oven until very tender, 4 hours. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• To reheat: Reheat, covered, in a preheated 325 degree F oven until warmed through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Take off the lid of the pot, drizzle the top of the meat with oil, sprinkle with cheese, and broil to lightly crust the top. Cut down through the layers of the potatoes, tomatoes, and onions to portion the meat, serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread and pan juices.

ROAST BEEF WITH DIJON-CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• For roast beef:
• Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix thyme, basil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Heat oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with herb mixture. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 130°F, about 40 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; let rest.
• For sauce:
• Place skillet with juices over medium-high heat. Add butter; stir until melted. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth; bring to boil. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, whisking often, about 6 minutes. Whisk in mustard and capers. Season sauce with pepper.
• Cut beef crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer beef to platter. Serve with sauce.
• Test-kitchen tip:
• Eye of round is not the most tender cut of beef. For the best flavor and texture, be sure to slice it very thinly.
• What to drink:
• With the beef, pour a full-bodied Syrah blend. One to try: Château de Jau 2007 "Le Jaja de Jau" ($11).

BRAISED BEEF WITH CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut steak in serving sized pieces. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove, crumble, and set aside. Brown steak in bacon drippings. Add water, carrot, celery, and bay leaf; cover and cook over low heat 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf and remove beef to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, melt butter over medium low heat. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to first skillet and blend with an immersion blender or process in stand up blender.
• Stir in sour cream and capers; heat through. Pour gravy over steaks; garnish with bacon crumbles and chopped parsley.

ROPA VIEJA (CUBAN BEEF)

Steps:

• Cut flank steak in half across the grain. Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Season both sides generously with the salt mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat. Add steaks and cook until outsides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove steaks to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add red onion, garlic, and more of the salt seasoning. Cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cloves, and allspice. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth.
• Return beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Season with salt and add bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is almost fork-tender, not falling apart, about 2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat and let stew cool to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, for best results.
• Remove beef to a plate and set stew over medium heat. Tear beef along the grain into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide shreds; place back in the stew. Add bell peppers, poblanos, smoked paprika, capers, olives, and sugar. Stir together and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peppers are soft and meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves, and stir in cilantro.

BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Dry the pieces of beef and dust them lightly with flour. Heat one tablespoon of the butter and one tablespoon oil in a heavy three-quart casserole. Brown the meat over medium-high heat without crowding. Add a little more oil if necessary. Remove the beef from the casserole and lower the heat.
• Saute the onion in the casserole until tender. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Stir in the stock and vermouth, scraping the bottom of the casserole. Return the beef and any juices it might have released to the casserole. Add the thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper and cover. Adjust heat so the stew simmers gently. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and saute the mushrooms quickly over very high heat until they are lightly browned. Drain them and add them to the casserole. Continue cooking the stew for another 15 minutes or so, until the beef is tender. If you are making this stew in advance, complete it up untll this point, then finish step four just before serving.
• Combine the cream and mustard. Stir a little of the hot sauce from the stew into this mixture, then add the cream mixture back to the casserole. Add the capers, recheck seasonings, bring the sauce to a simmer once again and then serve.

BRAISED BEEF WITH MUSTARD AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F Measure the anchovy oil into a deep flameproof casserole, then make up to 3tbsp with the olive oil. Heat the oil and brown the meat well, a few pieces at a time.
• When all the meat has been browned, pour 4tbsp cold water into the empty casserole and stir to loosen any bits on the bottom.
• Return the meat to the pan and add the onions, anchovies, capers, mustard, half the thyme and all but 1tbsp of the parsley. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Tear off a sheet of greaseproof paper big enough to cover the pan. Crumple it up and wet it under the cold tap. Squeeze out most of the water, open it out and press down over the surface of the meat.
• Cover with a tightly fitting lid, and cook in the oven for 2hrs or until the beef is meltingly tender. Check the casserole after 1hr to make sure it's still moist - if it looks dry, add a little water.
• Check for seasoning, then stir in remaining parsley and thyme. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread or mashed potato.