A Little Bistro Plate

Small, casual restaurants attract many tourists as much as the locals in many European countries and you can find very delicious meat choices in their menu. 
Commonly, simmering meat suitable wine fused in is the art of cooking beef of any kind in Europe. Well-cooked meat assimilated in wine flavor, melts in your mouth.
I had a chuck shoulder at home the other day and I kind of wanted to have same little Bistro flavor of Brussels.
 Chuck shoulder is one of the most flavored, inexpensive but tend to be chewy part of the beef. They are good for stew but not for grill.
I marinated the meat over night so it was easier to cook.
This recipe calls for 5 people with a small side dish and you may still have some left over too.

Ingredients:
1 ½ Lb. Beef Chuck shoulder 
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried thyme (or preferred couple small branch of fresh tyhme)
2 Tomatoes (chopped in cubes)
4 green chili peppers (if you don’t like hot spicy you can use 2 each sweet banana or habanera pepper)
1 Onion (chopped)
4 cloves of garlic
1 red chili pepper
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. black mustard seed
2 tsp. salt
1 cup red wine (merlot would be preferred)

Making:
Trim the meat fat the meat. And cut vertically like a small steaks.
Marinate in (¼ cup olive oil, 4-minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. chipotle pepper) over night.
Put in a food processor following items; tomato, onion, garlic, chili pepper, turmeric, cumin, mustard seed and salt, process it for few minutes.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet; add the thyme and let the aroma comes out.
Add tomato onion mix and cook it (about 10 minutes) until tomato turn into like a tomato sauce. (Not much juice must be left in the pan neither burned down.)
Grill the meat slices 2 minutes each side.
Transfer the grilled meat in to a tomato sauce
Drizzle a glass of wine
Close the (well tight) lid and simmer for 2 hours.
Juice thickens like gravy when the meat completely cooked
Meat becomes so soft and delicious.
You can serve with potato/parsnip puree and/or rice pilaf

Potato Parsnip Puree
Ingredients:
2 midsize potatoes (washed peeled and sliced)
2 Parsnips (washed peeled and big sliced)
1/2 -cup whole milk
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp minced cilantro

Making puree
Cook the potatoes and parsnip pieces until they get soft.

Drain the water completely

Add butter, milk, and salt into the pan

Bring the heat down and puree the potato and parsnips with the help of pureeing utensil until the pure becomes smooth and creamy.

Add minced garlic, sprinkle some black pepper in the puree and mix well one last time.

After serving next to the beef garnish with cilantro

Enjoy your little Bistro Plate.

 May 9 2014

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