There are just a
little over two days left in this year and I am about to bubble over with
excitement.
Even though 2011 was a
dynamite year, I am over the moon to ring in the New Year with one of my BEST
friends Jeanelle
and our loves.
and our loves.
Tomorrow morning,
Wesley and I are hopping in my Prius and heading north to Sacramento to spend
two days relaxing and catching up with Jeanelle and her beau Steven. To welcome
2012, we will spend the evening in. Eating, drinking and being very merry.
I highly recommend spending
the last hours of the year in with friends or family. It’s fun, it’s
affordable, it can be delicious and it’s SAFE.
Lucky for you, I have
the perfect easy entertaining dish for you.
You will need…
1 (3-pound) filet of
beef, trimmed
3 to 4 tablespoons
olive oil
¼ pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves,
minced
1 ½ cups good dry red
wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato
paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
(or 1 tablespoon dry thyme)
½ pound pearl onions,
peeled
8 to 10 carrots, cut
diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons butter,
at room temperature
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
½ pound mushrooms,
sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 lb russet potatoes,
chopped
Kosher salt and Pepper
Start by preheating
your oven to 350 degrees F.
With a sharp knife,
but the fillet crosswise into 1-inch thick chunks (or by it pre-cut). Salt and
pepper the fillets on both sides.
In a large,
heavy-bottomed pot that you can put in the oven, over medium-high heat, sauté
the slices of beef in batches with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil until browned on the
outside and very rare inside, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Remove the fillets
from the pan and set aside on a platter.
In the same pan, sauté
the bacon on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned and crisp.
Remove the bacon and
set it aside.
Drain all the fat,
except 2 tablespoons from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pan with
the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the
pan.
Add the beef stock,
tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring the
mixture to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to
30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.
With a fork, mash 2
tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the
sauce.
Simmer for 2 minutes
to thicken.
Meanwhile, sauté the
mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil for about 10
minutes, until browned and tender.
Add the beef, the
mushrooms, the bacon and the potatoes to the pan with the vegetables and sauce.
Put the pot in the
preheated oven and cook for at least 3 hours. When the potato is cooked and the
meat is crazy, it’s done.
Enjoy while the ball
drops.
And wish me and Wes
luck on our first road trip. Danger zone.
Love and Beer Floats
Angela
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