Braised beef with rosemary and soft polenta

Serves - 4 to 6

You’ll need

• 1.2kg braising beef, such as chuck or shin, cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into chunky pieces
• 2 celery sticks, cut into chunky pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 200ml red wine
• 500ml beef stock
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the soft polenta
• 200g quick-cook polenta
• 800ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 300ml milk
• 40g butter
• 50g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Brown the beef properly

Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and season it well with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat, then brown the beef in batches until it has taken on some proper colour. Do not crowd the pan or it will steam and sulk rather than do anything useful. Once browned, lift it out onto a plate.

2. Build the base

Turn the heat down slightly and add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan with a small pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and starting to catch a little at the edges. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another minute or two, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well so everything is coated.

3. Add the wine and stock

Pour in the red wine and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any good bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, rosemary and bay leaves, then return the beef to the dish along with any resting juices. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat without completely drowning it.

4. Cook low and slow

Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 2½–3 hours, or until the beef is deeply tender and breaks apart easily with a spoon. Give it a stir once or twice during cooking if you think of it. If the beef still feels a little stubborn at the end, give it another 20–30 minutes. This is not a dish that responds well to rushing.

5. Finish the beef

Lift off the lid and remove the rosemary stalks and bay leaves. If the sauce looks a little thin, put the dish back on the hob for 5–10 minutes and let it reduce gently until rich and glossy. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir through most of the parsley.

6. Make the polenta

Towards the end of the beef cooking time, bring the stock and milk to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking as you go so it does not turn lumpy and difficult. Cook according to the packet instructions, stirring regularly, until thickened and soft. Stir in the butter and Parmesan, then season with salt and black pepper. It should be smooth and spoonable rather than stiff enough to stand to attention.

7. Serve

Spoon the soft polenta into bowls or onto plates, then ladle over the braised beef and plenty of its sauce. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve straight away, while everything is still warm and comforting and exactly as it should be.

A couple of helpful notes

- Chuck, shin or feather blade all work well here – you just want a cut that improves with long, slow cooking rather than fighting it.
- If the polenta thickens up too much while waiting, loosen it with a splash of hot water, stock or milk.
- The beef is often even better the next day, which is useful if you are cooking ahead rather than pretending leftovers are beneath you.