Braised Beef with Mushroom Tortellini
Rich and savory, tender braised beef with a flavorful wine sauce atop porcini filled pasta pillows.
Equipment
- Measuring Cup
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Pan with Lid - 10" - Enameled cast iron preferred
- Serving Dish
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lb Chuck Roast - OR Beef Short Ribs
- 1 Medium Onion - Chopped
- 1 lb Baby Carrots - Chopped in half. Or full sized carrots cut into 1" pieces
- 4 Cloves Garlic - Minced
- 1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 2 Cups Good Red Wine - Chianti (Marsala is traditional and also good, see recipes notes)
- 2 Cups Broth - Chicken or Beef. If using chicken you may have to add some beef bouillon, see blog notes.
- 1 lb Mushroom Filled Tortellini - Porcini (Optional: cheese filled)
- 3 TBL Butter - Divided
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Pinch Dried Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- Salt and Pepper
- Asiago Cheese - Shredded, Optional Garnish
- Fresh or Dried Parsley - Optional Garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the veggies - Chop onions and carrots and mince the garlic. Set aside.
- Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper the meat generously on both sides.
- In a deep 10" skillet (or heavy enamel cast iron pot) melt 1 TBL butter with 1 tsp olive oil over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the roast and sear on both sides until browned, 2-3 minutes each side. Set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 TBL butter and 1 tsp olive oil to the pan. Add onions and sauté until slightly softened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrots and sauté for 3-5 minutes more.
- Increase to medium-high heat, pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Allow wine to boil for 3 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomato sauce, rosemary, and thyme, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the meat to the simmering sauce along with any juice from the meat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Meat is done when it easily slides off a fork when poked.
- Transfer the meat from the sauce to a cutting board. Chop into 2 inch chucks. Set aside.
- In a large pot bring generously salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile increase the heat for the sauce bringing it to a low boil. Reduce the sauce over medium-high for 5-10 minutes. Gently add the meat and any accumulated juices into the sauce.
- Boil the pasta in generously salted water. Keep the pasta slightly undercooked as it will finish in the sauce. Fresh pasta will only takes about a minute or two and will float to the top when done cooking. Refer to package instructions for dried pasta and undercook it by 1-3 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked to the desired firmness, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and add it to the braising sauce. Stir the pasta into the sauce, carefully as to not break the pasta. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add in 1 TBL butter, gently stirring. This is easiest if you cut the butter into smaller pieces. If your sauce is too thin, you can thicken it. Soften the butter to room temperature, add an equal amount of flour and mix the butter and flour together to form a paste. Add the mixture to the sauce quickly mixing it in so it doesn't clump. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
- Garnish with parsley and grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
Notes
This recipe was developed while on vacation when I didn't have access to traditional ingredients and equipment (read blog post for more details). I'm so happy with how this dish turned out even though it was somewhat unplanned.
Marsala wine is traditional in this dish but red wine performed quite well. Use what you have and like. Be a recipe rule breaker!
Enjoy!