Burgundy Braised Beef over Linguine

Burgundy Braised Beef over Linguine

I promised you a recipe that was fit for holiday season company.   What could be better than a braised pasta dish to impress your guests?

Genoese merchants settled in Naples in the fifteenth century and as a result, French Cooking was introduced to the region.  In the style of Genoa, this recipe is a little bit French and a little bit Italian, kind of like my husband, Dan.

Layers of flavors including onion, garlic, Burgundy wine and tomato create a flavorful braise for country style boneless beef ribs cut to bite-sized chunks.   Add in dried and fresh herbs, and you've got a meal to remember.  

In case you are not familiar, Grapeseed oil is made from the seeds of wine grapes.   It's a light and delicate oil with a slightly nutty flavor.  It's perfect for browning meat before a braise.    Because it's so light, it doesn't make your sauce heavy on oil as it reduces.  And once you try it, you'll be hooked.   It's cheaper than Olive Oil, too!

I also went back to one of my old tricks when I prepared this dish; I used bottled minced garlic.  When you use an oil with a high smoke point, like Grapeseed, fresh garlic can burn very easily and it can get bitter on you.   I find fresh bottled minced garlic to be a good fit here.

Note:  If you cannot find the boneless Angus Beef Ribs, you can substitute stew meat.  Just make sure that it's good quality.  Ask your butcher for help.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
One pound boneless Angus Country Style Beef Ribs - cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup diced Onion
1/2 tablespoon Bottled Minced Garlic
1/2 cup Burgundy Wine
1 cup Beef Broth
14 ounces Tomato Puree
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning; more to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Butter
1/8 cup 2% Milk
Fresh Oregano and/or torn Basil and Fresh Parsley (optional but recommended)
Grated Parmesan and Romano Cheese
Other:  Cooked low carb Linguine Pasta (Suggest Dreamfields)*

Add oil to pan and heat until smoking hot.

Add the chopped rib meat to pan (do not season at this point.   Salt will pull moisture from the meat).

Brown meat on both sides, about four minutes total.

Remove meat to bowl and set aside.

Add onions to pan.   Coat the onions with the pan juices and cook for about three minutes. 

Add garlic and stir.  Cook for one more minute.

Add wine.  Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add broth and tomato.   Stir in dried herbs.

Add salt and pepper to meat and to the sauce as desired.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. 

Add meat and any juices back to the pan.  Stir.  Cover and braise for approximately 2 1/2 hours until meat is fork tender, stirring occasionally. 

Remove meat from pan to rest.   Bring sauce to boil again and reduce to simmer.  Add butter and milk.   Continue to cook until sauce thickens.  

Add fresh oregano and basil to pan if using.  Add meat back to pan. 

Serve over cooked linguine.  Top with fresh parsley and grated cheese.