The Christmas recipe season has started, and as expected, I bring you a proposal that you won't be able to refuse. It's a Bloody Mary veal . This recipe by Jamie Oliver is an ideal option for this Christmas, as it makes itself, and although it needs about 6 hours of cooking, it will be ready all by itself in its Le Creuset® cocotte while you're doing other things. Don't worry, I assure you that once you leave it in the cocotte you'll be able to groom yourself, do other tasks, prepare another series of dishes and even relax on the sofa.
As a side dish, I suggest a creamy polenta, which accompanied by the Bloody Mary sauce will have all your guests licking their fingers. You can make polenta with just water without any problem, although I think that half water and half milk (vegetable or animal) gives it a more special touch. Of course, you can replace it with mashed potatoes, which would also be great, but if you give polenta a chance, you will definitely want more.
This melt-in-your-mouth veal is definitely ideal for any of our guests, as it is so tender that both the elderly and the youngest members of the family can eat it, and they will love the polenta. But if there is something that will really fascinate the rest of the diners, it is the sauce with its onions… it is out of this world, really. I do have to warn you of one thing, though; buy a lot of bread, because it will be impossible to stop dipping it in. It is addictive!
Le Creuset Volcanic Evolution oval cocotte , Pallarès kitchen knife in carbon steel with Boxwood handle
Ingredients
- 1 kg of beef skirt in one piece
- 2 large celery stalks
- 4 or 5 small red onions
- Fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- The juice of a large lemon
- 700ml. tomato concentrate type passata
- 2 heaping tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- A few drops of Tabasco
- 3 tablespoons of vodka
- 2 tablespoons of young red wine
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- A cup of polenta
- 375 ml of water
- 375 ml of milk (vegetable or animal)
- A teaspoon of sea salt flakes
- Freshly ground pepper
- A few leaves of the first shoots
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 130 ºC with heat from above and below.
- Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper and place it in a 29 cm cocotte with a little olive oil over high heat. Let it brown on both sides, turning it from time to time.
- Cut the celery into 5 cm cubes, cut the onions into quarters and add them to the cocotte. Cook everything over a low heat until they soften a little.
- In a bowl, mix the juice of one lemon, tomato concentrate, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, vodka, red wine, salt, pepper and half a litre of water. When all the Bloody Mary sauce is well mixed, add it to the cocotte along with the fresh rosemary and bay leaves (you can make a bundle with them). Let it cook until it starts to boil. Cover and place in the preheated oven.
- With the cocotte covered and in the oven, we let it cook for 5 to 6 hours, or until the meat is super tender and begins to fall apart.
- Once the meat is cooked, let it rest while you make the polenta. To do this, put a small pot or cocotte on medium heat with the water/milk, salt and pepper and let it start to boil. Slowly add the polenta in a drizzle and mix slowly. Lower the heat to minimum and let it cook for about 6-8 minutes. You should have a creamy polenta. If it is too thick, you can add more liquid.
- Serve immediately with the veal in Bloody Mary and some first sprouts or the garnish of your choice.
Le Creuset Volcanic Evolution Oval Cocotte
