With buttered egg noodles and gooseberry chutney, this recipe is something of a mad cross between Heather’s Swedish meatballs and my own pot roast.
Salt the chuck steak liberally on both sides and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, reduce 1/2 bottle of red wine with a cup of unsalted or low-salt beef broth until volume is reduced by half.
Chop bacon, shallot and garlic and sauté in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well colored, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked ingredients to a side dish, and pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
Pat the salted meat dry and brown well in the Dutch oven with the reserved fat, about 5 minutes per side. Give silent thanks to Louis Camille Maillard for the beautiful color.
Return the bacon, shallots and garlic to the pot along with fresh thyme, bay, pepper and the wine & stock reduction. Ensure that there is sufficient liquid to cover the browned meat.
Seal the pot with foil, and place in a 350 degree oven until fork tender (about 1 hour in the case of my rather thin chuck). Remove to cutting board and cover with the foil to keep warm.
Strain the cooking liquid into a clean pan, and quickly reduce in volume by half. Thicken slightly with roux and allow to cook slowly for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles, drain, toss with butter and parsley, cover and set aside.
Slowly whisk whole milk into the thickened gravy. Add freshly grated nutmeg and adjust seasoning, being glad that you haven’t used any salt up to this point. Add sautéed mushrooms if you like.
Slice the meat across the grain, and arrange over noodles. Dress with gooseberry chutney (thanks, Sandhill Farm!) and enjoy!
Rating ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +
