Stewed Beef Shoulder Tip with Mashed Potatoes and Kohlrabi
This is a classic dish, beef stewed with wine and herbs served with mashed potato and a vegetable, in this case, kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is unusual in American kitchens, but is similar to turnip. The cut of beef chosen for this dish, shoulder tip, has a thick broad layer of fat which serves to baste the meat and keep it moist. The fat is cut away after cooking.
Ingredients
- Beef shoulder tip - 1 (about 2-1/2 pounds; also called arm roast))
- Red Wine - 2 cups
- Vegetable or beef broth (stock) - 1 quart
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Onion - 1, halved
- Celery Stalks - 2, cut in large pieces
- Fresh Rosemary - white peppercorns
- White peppercorns - 15
- Juniper berries - 6 to 8
- Garlic Clove - 1, cut in two
- Kohlrabi
- Kohlrabi - 1 medium
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Nutmeg to taste
- Dash cayenne pepper
- Parsley Sprigs - 4 to 6 small
- mealy potatoes
- Mealy potatoes - 4 large
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/3 cup
- Salted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Nutmeg to taste
- Parsley Leaves
Instructions
To prepare the beef: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Season the shoulder with salt and pepper. Put the beef, fat side up, in a large ovenproof pot with the wine and broth. The liquid should leave about one-third of the meat exposed. Add the bay leaves, onion, celery, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic. Cover the pan. Put into the oven and cook 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 350 F and cook for 1 to 2 hours longer, according to taste.
Remove the meat from the pot and set aside in a warm place; tent the meat with foil and cover the foil with a heavy towel to hold in the heat. Press the stew broth through a sieve into a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Cook until reduced to a slightly thickened consistency; set aside.
To prepare the kohlrabi: While the meat is cooking, peel the kohlrabi and cut into thin discs. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the kohlrabi slices; bring back to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain; plunge the kohlrabi into ice water for 30 seconds. Remove and drain. Bring the cream to a boil in a heavy pot and add the kohlrabi slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the cream is thickened. Season with a few grindings of nutmeg and stir in the parsley sprigs. Set aside.
To prepare the potatoes: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut into medium chunks. Put the potatoes into the boiling water and cook 10 to 14 minutes, until very tender. Remove with a skimmer or slotted spoon and press through a sieve. Do not mix. Put the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the potatoes and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a few grindings of nutmeg. Stir well.
To serve: Cut away the fat and carve the meat into long strips. Place the meat strips in the sauce to soak briefly. Overlap kohlrabi slices to one side of each plate. Place a mound of mashed potato next to the kohlrabi. Finish each plate with slices of beef. Spoon the thickened sauce over the meat.
