Braised Beef Shoulder

Add to my passover recipe box

By Chef Todd Aarons, Tierra Sur

Pair this meal with a bottle of 2007 Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and enjoy the memories. Happy Passover!

4-5 pounds piece of boneless beef shoulder, tied with butcher string to make it a more uniform shape

Marinade:
4 cups red wine, such as Baron Herzog Merlot
8 crushed black peppercorns
4 shallots, sliced
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
¼ cup brandy

Aromatics:
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch rounds
2 celery stalks cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 medium Spanish onions, julienned
3 cloves garlic sliced
¼ cup tomato concasse or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Bouquet garnish of thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaf, and outer leek leaf tied into a bundle
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and coarsely ground black peppercorns

Liquid:
Strained cooked marinade plus 3 cups red wine
Broth to cover 1/3 of beef roast
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325̊̊ degrees. Add all marinade ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer to reduce by a quarter. Let cool and place roast inside marinade, refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning at 12 hours. Dry the meat from marinade and liberally season with sea salt and black peppercorn. Reserve the marinade. Inside your roasting pot heat up the olive oil and add the beef. Sear all sides of the roast until you reach a deep rich brown color. Remove roast to a separate plate. Add your aromatics to the render beef fat left in the pot and sauté until lightly browned and translucent. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook until the tomato turns a rich brown color. Nestle roast back into the vegetables. Strain reserved marinade over the roast while pot is on a medium flame. Add the new wine and simmer until all alcohol has dissipated. Pour in broth to cover at least 1/3 the roast. Add your bouquet garni bundle and cover with a piece of parchment paper then place lid over pot. Place pot into preheated oven and continue to cook for approximately 2 hours. Check doneness with a wooden skewer. You should be able to pierce meat and easily pull out skewer. If it is not ready continue to cook and check at 45-minute intervals. Serves 6.