FincaPerlitas
Senior Cook
I start with salt pork. Rinse to remove excess salt. then cube it and cook over low heat to render the fat. Remove the salt pork from the pot. Dredge the beef in seasoned flour and brown in the rendered fat. Add bacon grease or butter if needed. When browned, add a cup or two of red wine, 1 generous tablespoon of tomato paste and beef stock (or canned beef broth) to barely cover the meat. Add the cooked salt pork back to the pot. Cover and braise over medium low heat for an hour. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste (I use marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, etc). Don't oversalt or overseason. You'll have a chance to correct the seasonings later. Add vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, etc). Add more stock, if needed. Transfer to oven, cover and cook at 275 degrees for at least 3 or 4 hours, until meat is very tender. You can add fresh mushrooms during the last 1/2 hour, if desired. Transfer all the meat and vegetables to a large serving dish. Taste the broth and correct seasonings, if necessary. Make a thin paste of flour and water (stir or strain the lumps out). Bring broth to a low boil and add the flour mixture a little at a time, in a slow stream - stirring or whisking constantly. It should thicken fairly quickly (a couple of minutes). Repeat until you have the consistency you want. Pour it over the meat and serve.