Beef RecipesQuestion: Which Marsala did
the New York Beef Industry Council use to prepare its
Veal Marsala at the 2002 New York Restaurant and Food Service Show?
Answer: Lombardo Marsala Of
Course!
Beef Recipes
Ingredients
Carbonnade of Beef Fillet Marsala
In the old days, the harshness of Sicilian mountain life was such that the
peasants could only now and then include red meat in their diet. Oxen were
precious working companions and were slaughtered only when they were too old
to pull the plough, and then their meat would be preserved in salt in
barrels and consumed very sparingly. Out of the needs of poor people this
recipe was created. Today the dish is cooked in the traditional manner with
a Marsala/Red Wine sauce. A beef fillet is more often used.
1 cup Lombardo Dry Marsala dry
red
wine
1 cup dry red
wine
2 carrots,
coarsely chopped
1 onion,
coarsely chopped
1 celery
stalk, coarsely chopped
1 lb beef
fillet, cut into 4 slices
5 tablespoons butter
1 sprig rosemary,
minced
1 garlic
clove, minced
Salt
and freshly ground pepper
In a saucepan, boil the wine,
carrots, onion and celery until the wine is reduced to a delicate thin
sauce. Strain the sauce and discard the vegetables. In a skillet, sauté the
beef slices in half the butter, with the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper,
Pour the wines sauce over the meat and let the flavors blend for a few
moments. Remove the meat. Thicken the sauce with the remaining butter, pour
it over the meat again and serve.
Classic Italian Meatballs with Spaghetti
Italian Meatloaf and Wild Mushrooms
Braised in Marsala Wine with
Asparagus Risotto
Serves 4
This is a meatloaf dish worthy
of being served even on more formal occasions. Traditionally, in Italy,
risotto would be offered as a first course, and you may serve it that way if
you prefer. When prepared correctly, there is simply nothing that compares
to risotto. It is not difficult to do, but the process does require constant
attention, and it should always be prepared just before serving as it does
not hold well.
For
Meatloaf:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced, plus 1 onion,
sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 slices "day old"
bread
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 pounds lean high-quality
ground beef
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped
prosciutto, or other cured ham
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup dry Lombardo Dry Marsala
1/2 cup beef stock
6 ounces wild mushrooms (such
as porcini or shiitakes), sliced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
For the Asparagus Risotto:
12 ounces asparagus
3 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock,
or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive
oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
TO PREPARE MEATLOAF:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saucepan and sauté the diced
onion over medium heat until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and
sauté an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pulse the
bread in a food processor until crumbs form (you will have about 1 cup of
crumbs). Set aside 1/2 cup for the meatloaf. Spread out the remaining crumbs
on a baking sheet to let them dry out until you use them later (if they are
still soft when ready to use, place the baking sheet in an oven on low heat
for about 10 minutes before using). Mix the 1/2 cup bread crumbs with the
milk and squeeze to release all the liquid you can; discard the liquid.
Place the sautéed onion and
garlic, dampened bread crumbs, beef, Parmesan, prosciutto, and eggs in a
large mixing bowl and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into a cylindrical meatloaf (it must be able to fit into a
large loaf pan, an oval ovenproof casserole, or a cooking dish with a
10-inch diameter; the meatloaf can also be cooked in a fish poacher). Roll
the meatloaf in the reserved dried bread crumbs. Transfer to a platter and
let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400
degrees F. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan and sauté
the sliced onion over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until golden. Remove
and set aside. Melt the butter in the loaf pan, casserole, or cooking dish,
add the meatloaf, and sauté on all sides for about 7 minutes, or until
golden brown. Handle the meatloaf gently so that it does not break apart.
Add the wine, stock, mushrooms, and sautéed sliced onion, and bring to a
simmer. Cover, and transfer to the oven.
Braise for about 45 minutes,
or until the meatloaf is no longer pink on the inside and the internal
temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Note that the internal temperature of the
meatloaf will continue to rise by 5 to 10 degrees after it has been removed
from the oven. Transfer the meatloaf to a heated serving platter. With a
spoon, skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Spoon the sauce with the
mushrooms over the meatloaf. Mix the parsley and lemon zest, and sprinkle it
over the meatloaf.
TO PREPARE RISOTTO:
While the meatloaf is braising, prepare the risotto. Trim the asparagus,
removing any large or woody ends. Place 2 cups of the water and the salt in
a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus, turn down the heat to
low, and simmer, covered, until just tender, about 7 minutes (cooking time
will be determined by the size of the asparagus; if you are using pencil
asparagus, it will take about 3 minutes.)Remove the asparagus, reserving the
cooking liquid, and dry on paper towels. Cut the asparagus into 3/4-inch
lengths, discarding any tough stringy pieces.
Add the cooking liquid to the
stock and the remaining 1 cup of water in a clean saucepan and bring to a
low simmer. In another heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté
the asparagus over medium heat for about 2 or 3 minutes; remove and set
aside. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes longer, or until softened. Add
the rice an cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well
coated. Turn the heat down to medium-low, stir in about 1/2 cup of the
asparagus broth, and cook until the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add
another cup of broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent
the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Repeat this process, adding
simmering broth to the rice in small increments until you have used about 4
cups of the broth. Then, begin adding the broth about 1/4 cup at a time,
until the rice is almost cooked (if you run out of broth, add simmering
water). Return the asparagus to the pan to warm through. Cut the remaining 2
tablespoons of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and gently stir into the risotto
with the cheese; cook about 2 minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper
to taste. Serve the risotto immediately, with the meatloaf.
HELPFUL TIPS: The
amount of broth needed for the risotto will vary depending on how quickly
the rice cooks and how much broth is absorbed during cooking; do not
hesitate to use more or less as you see fit. When adding the broth to the
rice, try to maintain a brisk simmer, so that each addition cooks out fairly
quickly, otherwise the rice will become glutinous. You can substitute 1/4
cup of the white wine for the same amount of broth if you like. The finished
risotto should be tender and creamy but still have a bitable texture (that
is, al dente).
All American Pot Roast
6 servings
Ingredients
3 Lbs. Boneless Chuck Roast
2 Cups Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Lombardo Marsala Sweet
3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
1 Chopped Onion
1/4 Cup Mustard
2 Tbl. Spoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 Cubed New Potatoes
1 Lb. Sliced Carrots
1 Lb. Trimmed Green Beans
1 1/2 Tbl. Spoons Flour
1/2 Cup of Water
Preparation
1. Place roast in glass bowl; mix next 7 ingredients. Pour over the
beef; cover.
Refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Place roast and marinade in the pot; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and
simmer 2 1/2
hours or until beef is tender.
3. Remove beef from liquid; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Cook vegetables separately just until tender.
5. Strain cooking liquid from beef into pan. Blend flour and water. Heat
liquid to
boiling stir in flour and water mixture. Cook
and stir until thickened. Cook 2 minutes.
6. Arrange beef and vegetables on a platter. Spoon gravy over beef; Serve
remaining
gravy in a sauce boat.