WINE BRAISED BEEF OVER CREAMY POLENTA

WINE BRAISED BEEF OVER CREAMY POLENTA image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

Beef
3 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
Salt and Pepper
7 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed, boned, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh Italian prasley
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup dry red wine
2 1/4 cups beef stock or canned broth
2 16-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted Nicoise olives
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
Polenta
9 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal

Steps:

Beef: Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over high heat.Season beef with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of beef and brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer beef to bowl using slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining beef in 4 more batches. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and Italian parsley to Dutch oven and cook until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. Return beef to Dutch oven and stir to coat with onion and spice mixture. Add red wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer mixture 15 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Mix in olives and rosemary. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until beef is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Add bell peppers, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) * I like adding carrots to this also. Polenta Bring water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Continue whisking until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook cornmeal until thick and thoroughly cooked, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes. (polenta can be preparred up to 4 hours ahead. Transfer polenta to metal bowl. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set bowl over large saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally.) Spoon polenta into shallow soup bowls. spoon beef over.