Oven-Braised Beef Bottom Round Roast with Shiitakes and Leeks; Pureed Romanesco with Garlic, Chives, Ricotta and Horseradish

There is nothing like a fragrant cauldron of yummy goodness simmering away in your oven for a few hours whilst you are hunkered down at home in the winter on an inclement day during the Time of the Corona to give you a sense of solace. So I present a little sloooow-roasted oven-braised beef pot roast with shiitakes and leeks served alongside pureed romanesco with garlic, chives, ricotta and horseradish for your cooking consideration...

Braising is cooking with a combination of moist and dry heat in a covered pot. This works best for tough meats. It’s amazing how a gristly cheap cut of meat transmogrifies under the alchemy of heat and time. The name of the technique comes from the French word braiser, referring to the original method that involved cooking meat in a covered vessel set on a bed of hot, glowing coals (braises). Hot coals were also piled on top of the lid so the meat would cook evenly. What could be more primal? Now, of course, it means cooking food in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot over a bare simmer.

Adding aromatics, vegetables, and herbs when braising gives both the meat and the accompanying sauce much needed flavor and aroma. Braising can be done on your stovetop, in a slow cooker or in the oven, depending on your equipment. Oven-braising is my preferred method. Low and slow is the mantra for this method. Because braising is a mixture of temperature, time, moisture, you’ll achieve the best results by cooking your meat for longer periods of time (think 2-6 hours depending on the cut and the size of the roast) and at a low temperature (200-250 degrees F - the liquid should remain at a bare simmer throughout the braising process). Braising breaks down collagen, an elastic connective tissue found in all muscles to varying degrees. Acting like a thin translucent sheath, collagen surrounds muscle fibers, providing structure and support. The more hard-working a muscle is, the more collagen it requires to do its job. Raw, tough cuts of meat are near-impossible to chew because collagen binds muscle fibers together in tight bundles. Cooking breaks down this elastic collagen, dissolving it into soft, melt-in-your-mouth gelatin. Without their elastic sheaths, the fiber bundles literally fall apart, resulting in fork-tender meat. Newly formed gelatin melts away into the sauce, adding a velvety mouthfeel and unctuousness to the braising liquid. This newly formed gelatin also explains why braising liquids form a gel upon cooling.

The real key to braising is adding the right amount of liquid so that the moisture and heat continue working together to tenderize the meat. Too much liquid will dilute the favor of the sauce and it will boil which will toughen the fibers. Too little and (depending on which kind you use) your aromatics will burn adding a caustic flavor and the meat may dry out as well. I typically add no more 1-1/2″ liquid in the bottom of the pan. Most of the roast should be above liquid. The liquid from the meats and vegetables will contribute even more liquid volume as the dish cooks. For best results, use flavorful liquids such as wine, soy sauce sauce, stock, cream, pureed tomatoes.

Before you start cooking the meat, be sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking, pat it dry with paper towels. This helps it brown more evenly and keeps it from boiling instead of searing. Season it with a spice rub or a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper works great, too, for those of you who prefer less assertive flavors. I use more exotic seasonings because I know the long slow simmer will temper their taste. Preheat your oven. Then prepare your mise-en-place by gathering and chopping all the aromatics and vegetables you intend to use. Have all and any fats and liquids you want to use handy, as well.

Most every braising recipe calls for browning the meat on all sides, usually over medium-high heat in a heavy dutch oven, until it develops a golden brown crust. 5 minutes per side is usually ample. You will then remove the meat, placing it on a cutting board or dish, keeping it in a warm spot and add the aromatics to the pot, sauteing them in fat until they start to soften, then you deglaze the pan with your liquid(s) of choice, scraping up the browned bits known as pan fond and incorporating them into the sauce, then you place your meat & any accumulated juices back in the pot, anointing it with a bit more fat (I like to add dabs of butter and splashes of cream), place a tightly fitting lid over it, and place it in the center of the oven to cook. Generally, for a tough cut of meat like a chuck roast, short ribs, or a bottom round, it is about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes per pound in a 200 -250 degree F oven - turning the meat once half-way through its cooking time. You'll know when the meat is done because it will give in when prodded by a pair of tongs, and appear to be falling apart - if it offers any resistance to touch, it needs more cooking time. 

As with any non-baking recipe, you can freely substitute ingredients or omit any you don't like. I used what I had at home. You can do the same. Recipes are just guidelines. Frameworks. Blueprints. It’s the cooking technique that matters most. I don’t tabulate the macros, but you certainly can. Years of keto-cooking have trained me to understand the proper ratio of ingredients. I do try to be aware of consuming excessive protein since it causes gluconeogenesis which is counterproductive. I do this by controlling the portion of proteins I eat. I make high fat, moderate protein, low-glycemic meals with no starches or glutens. I don't use a roux as a thickener, nor do I dust the meat with flour because we are keto in this household, but if you're not eschewing carbs, by all means do so.  Or you can simply remove the meat when it's done and reduce the jus in the pot until it is the consistency you like. A dab of creme fraiche or sour cream will also thicken it, but el esposo prefers a saucier sauce so I didn't. Cauliflower or broccoli make great low-carb options to use as substitutes for the romanesco, I chose ricotta as the cheese because it's what I needed to use, but gruyere, chevre, anything you like would be nice, I'm sure. I use a shallow 14" Le Creuset enamel-coated cast iron braiser that I have had for 15 years, but a Dutch oven will be fine - just don't feel tempted to fill it with too much liquid. I use an immersion blender to puree the romanesco, it is an indispensable tool & so inexpensive, but you can use a blender, processor, food mill, or even a potato masher.  This dish will serve 6 easily. 

Oven-Braised Beef Bottom Round Roast with Shiitakes and Leeks; Pureed Romanesco with Garlic, Chives, Ricotta and Horseradish

Ingredients:

For The Beef

• 2 lbs of beef bottom round roast, whole
• a couple of pinches of porcini powder (I use this one)
• freshly milled black pepper, to taste
• 1 packet of Sazon, optional
• teaspoon of paprika
• olive oil to lightly coat bottom of braising pan
• 3 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 3 sprigs of fresh marjoram
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large leek, cleaned of debris & sliced into large coins
• 1/2 of 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed with the flat side of chef's knife & minced
• sliced shiitakes mushroom, 1 cup
• sliced crimini mushrooms, 1 cup
• 1 large zucchini, cut into large chunks
• 1 TBS of tomato paste (or ketchup)
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of Pinot Noir (or any good dry red wine you're drinking)
• 1 cup of stock - beef, chicken, or vegetable
• 2 TBS of butter
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream

For The Pureed Romanesco

• 1 large head of Romanesco, chopped into large florets
• olive oil to lightly coat bottom of pan
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 2 TBS. butter, unsalted
• 1/2 cup low-sodium stock
• 1/4 cup of cream or half and half
• 1/4 cup of ricotta
• horseradish, to taste (I used a tablespoon)
• freshly milled pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste (I didn't use any)
• chopped chives, to taste 

Instructions:


For The Beef: 

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Remove roast from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, clean and pat dry with a paper towel, then season with freshly milled black pepper, porcini powder, paprika, and Sazon. (If you are using Sazon or any other seasoning salt, you won't need additional salt). Set aside for .
2. Prepare all your veggies and aromatics. Set aside.
   
3. Heat a large braising pan over medium high heat, coat the pan with a light film of olive oil, when oil is hot, sear roast on all sides one side at a time for 5 minutes per side without disturbing the roast.
4. Remove meat from braising pan, keeping in a warm spot, then add the leeks, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Add more oil if needed. Saute until aromatics and vegetables soften - do not brown them. When aromatics are softened, add soy sauce, stirring in well, then add tomato paste, stirring in well, and coating all the aromatics well... letting the tomato paste cook until it loses its raw look. 
5. Then deglaze pan with wine, scraping up all and any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, when wine cooks down about half way, add stock, herbs (oregano, marjoram, bay leaf), stir in well, then place meat and any accumulated juices back in pan, coating the meat on all sides with the sauce.
6. Add the zucchini, if using, bring pan back up to a boil, add butter and cream on top of the roast, fit tightly with lid and place in the center of the oven for two and half to three hours, turning roast once halfway through cooking time. Meat is done when it gives in easily to the touch and is almost falling apart. 
   
7. Remove pan from oven, let rest for 10 minutes covered, then remove meat from pan, slice and serve on warmed plates with mushroom sauce and pureed romanesco (or whatever sides you choose).

For The Romanesco:

1. Heat a deep sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil to coat pan, when pan is hot add the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 45 seconds). Add romanesco florets and 1 tablespoon of butter, mixing well with the garlic, season with freshly milled black pepper to taste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until romanesco caramelizes slightly, careful not to let the garlic burn as you do.
2. Add cream and stock to romanesco mixture and cover tightly with lid until romanesco is soft & breaks apart easily with a wooden spoon (7-10 minutes). Check pot occasionally for liquid, if it gets too dry to fast, you may need to add more stock or cream, but ideally the romanesco will absorb all the liquid without need for more.
3. When romanesco is cooked, remove from heat, and blend with an immersion blender directly in the pot. Just be sure the blender's blades are below the surface or else you will be wearing pureed romanesco. When smooth, add ricotta and horseradish and blend in well with the blender. 
4. When puree is the consistency you like, finish with black pepper, chopped chives, and the last tablespoon of butter, stirring it all in with wooden spoon. Serve.