CookEat Recipe
Clove-Studded Braised Beef
A lean piece of beef marinated overnight in wine, larded and studded with four cloves, then slowly braised with onion and served with strained, defatted juices.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 kg lean beef round or rump, in one piece; About 400 ml red wine for the marinade; 60 g cured pork fatback, cut into finger-thick strips; Salt and black pepper; 4 whole cloves; Half an onion, thinly sliced; 25 g butter; 25 g olive oil, equal in weight to the butter; 1 glass water, about 200 ml.
Step 2
Lightly pound the beef and put it in a snug non-reactive container with the wine. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below overnight, about 8–12 hours, turning once if the wine does not cover the meat.
Step 3
Lift the beef from the marinade, discard the used wine and pat the meat dry. Season the finger-thick fatback strips with a little salt and pepper and insert them into small channels in the beef with a clean larding needle or narrow knife. Insert the four cloves, tie the meat compactly with food-safe kitchen string and salt lightly.
Step 4
Put the sliced half onion, equal weights of butter and oil and the beef into a heavy casserole. Brown the meat on every side over moderate heat, turning gently, until the onion has softened and collapsed, about 15–20 minutes.
Step 5
Add the glass of water, cover with a well-fitting lid and simmer very gently for about 2½–3 hours or longer until the beef is tender and reaches at least 74°C in the centre. Turn occasionally and use only a small extra splash of hot water if necessary to prevent drying.
Step 6
Lift out the beef and remove all string and the four cloves where accessible. Strain the cooking juices, skim off excess fat and serve the sliced meat with the sauce around it.
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