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stefen
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THE BEST EVER BEEF & VEGGIE SOUP
Yesterday, Cristina and I cooked what we both consider to be, by far, the best ever beef and vegetable soup.
The flavor of the broth alone is beyond anything we have ever tasted.
You will agree that this soup will taste like it has cooked for hours.
We watched 'America's Test Kitchen' TV program that demonstrated this soup and so we decided to give it a try...
Here is the Step-by-Step recipe...and by the way, don't try to shortcut or you'd miss out on the finest, most flavorful, soup ever.
First, you need to select the correct beef cuts for flavor and tenderness. Select Sirlion tip steaks (or Flap Meat) and if sirloin tip steaks are not available, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat.
We asked the butcher to give us several lbs of what is called 'Flap Meat', which is a sirlion cut and is definitely the best choice. (Even though the recipe calls for 1 lb of meet, we used 1-1/2 lbs and kept a 1/2 lb out for a Chili recipe we are going to try for Super Bowl day)
Oh. And before you get started, pour yourself a glass of Red Wine
Serves 6
1-1/2 pound sirloin tip steaks , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms (or Portabella or Button Mushrooms), stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and quartered
1 large onion , chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups) (could use more)
2 medium ribs celery , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
1 Bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (Strictly window dressing)
Are you ready? Here goes...
1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare mushrooms and onion and set aside in a bowl
3. Chop the garlic and place in a small bowl with the tomatoe paste...set aside
4. Prepare the carrots and celery and place in a bowl and set aside
5. Mix geletin in a small bowl with a half cuo of water...and set aside
6. Set aside 1/2 cup of Red Wine (Cook to drink another cup of wine)
Now the fun begins...
7. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (or one big-ass pot) over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion pieces are brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl. (will cook down to about 2 cups)
8. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add red wine, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Cook to pour and drink another cup of wine.
11. When soup is finished, turn off heat. Remove bay leaf. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in parsley; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.
Step-by-Step: Building Meaty Flavor Quickly
These four glutamate-rich ingredients boosted meaty flavors in our quick soup.
Mushrooms: Sautéed Cremini mushrooms begin to build flavor.
Tomato Paste: Thick tomato paste caramelizes in the pot to create more flavor.
Soy Sauce: Strips of beef are marinated in soy sauce before being browned.
Red Wine: Red wine helps loosen flavorful browned bits from the pan bottom.
Geletin: The geletin is the same as if you cooked several beef bones in the soup for hours...
Before the beef is added to the pot, create a flavor base by browning chopped onions and Cremini mushrooms. Stir frequently until the onions are really brown and dark bits form on the pan bottom. Don't shortcut this process or you will rob your soup of flavor.
If you like, add 1 cup of frozen peas, frozen corn, or frozen cut green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For a heartier soup, add 10 ounces of red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups), during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Serve this with a Sourdough, Baguette or French bread and cold butter.
Pour final cup of wine into the cook...and try not to step on his fingers
Yesterday, Cristina and I cooked what we both consider to be, by far, the best ever beef and vegetable soup.
The flavor of the broth alone is beyond anything we have ever tasted.
You will agree that this soup will taste like it has cooked for hours.
We watched 'America's Test Kitchen' TV program that demonstrated this soup and so we decided to give it a try...
Here is the Step-by-Step recipe...and by the way, don't try to shortcut or you'd miss out on the finest, most flavorful, soup ever.
First, you need to select the correct beef cuts for flavor and tenderness. Select Sirlion tip steaks (or Flap Meat) and if sirloin tip steaks are not available, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat.
We asked the butcher to give us several lbs of what is called 'Flap Meat', which is a sirlion cut and is definitely the best choice. (Even though the recipe calls for 1 lb of meet, we used 1-1/2 lbs and kept a 1/2 lb out for a Chili recipe we are going to try for Super Bowl day)
Oh. And before you get started, pour yourself a glass of Red Wine
Serves 6
1-1/2 pound sirloin tip steaks , trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cremini mushrooms (or Portabella or Button Mushrooms), stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and quartered
1 large onion , chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups) (could use more)
2 medium ribs celery , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
1 Bay leaf
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (Strictly window dressing)
Are you ready? Here goes...
1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare mushrooms and onion and set aside in a bowl
3. Chop the garlic and place in a small bowl with the tomatoe paste...set aside
4. Prepare the carrots and celery and place in a bowl and set aside
5. Mix geletin in a small bowl with a half cuo of water...and set aside
6. Set aside 1/2 cup of Red Wine (Cook to drink another cup of wine)
Now the fun begins...
7. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (or one big-ass pot) over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion pieces are brown and dark bits form on pan bottom, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl. (will cook down to about 2 cups)
8. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add red wine, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Cook to pour and drink another cup of wine.
11. When soup is finished, turn off heat. Remove bay leaf. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in parsley; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.
Step-by-Step: Building Meaty Flavor Quickly
These four glutamate-rich ingredients boosted meaty flavors in our quick soup.
Mushrooms: Sautéed Cremini mushrooms begin to build flavor.
Tomato Paste: Thick tomato paste caramelizes in the pot to create more flavor.
Soy Sauce: Strips of beef are marinated in soy sauce before being browned.
Red Wine: Red wine helps loosen flavorful browned bits from the pan bottom.
Geletin: The geletin is the same as if you cooked several beef bones in the soup for hours...
Before the beef is added to the pot, create a flavor base by browning chopped onions and Cremini mushrooms. Stir frequently until the onions are really brown and dark bits form on the pan bottom. Don't shortcut this process or you will rob your soup of flavor.
If you like, add 1 cup of frozen peas, frozen corn, or frozen cut green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For a heartier soup, add 10 ounces of red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups), during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Serve this with a Sourdough, Baguette or French bread and cold butter.
Pour final cup of wine into the cook...and try not to step on his fingers
