Braise Anatomy
A French-styled garlic tomato beef ragout, slow-braised for tenderness
1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerFrenchGluten-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Tonight, we’re going French, well, French with a detour through your grocery store’s ground beef section. This ragout transforms humble ingredients into a dinner worthy of candlelight, all through the magic of low, slow simmering and a little garlic science.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned but still moist, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- 02Add butter to the pot, then toss in onion, carrot, and celery. Stir frequently and cook until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes.
- 03Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until you smell that sweet garlic perfume.
- 04Stir in tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to caramelize it.
- 05Deglaze the pot with the dry red wine, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes until wine is reduced by about half.
- 06Return the ground beef (and any juices) to the pot. Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
- 07Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let it braise, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 15 minutes until richly thickened and the flavors are cozy roommates.
- 08Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes more to concentrate the sauce if needed. Fish out and discard the bay leaf.
- 09Taste for seasoning, then stir in chopped parsley just before serving.
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