Slow and Steady

Tasty. Sort of slow cooked. Wee bit over salted. But worth it on a night when there was nothing else at home for dinner.

Beer and Bourbon Braised Beef on Smashed Potatoes

1/2 lb beef, cut into strips (this was 'stir fried' beef I had in the freezer)
1 onion, medium dice
1 TB olive oil
1 TB dried, crushed rosemary
Salt/Pepper
1 1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tsp butter

and a little cheating...

1/2 tsp Gravy Master*

More on this later

Dinner started when I put the onion and oil in the medium pot, over medium heat, I salted the onions and let them start to sweat out. After about five minutes, I added the rosemary and black pepper. I let this go another five minutes, or so. I dropped the beef on top of the onions and then poured the beer on top of that. I allowed the beer to reduce down by about half, then added the broth and bourbon. Add the Gravy Master and drop that butter in the mix. Turn the heat to its lowest position. Cover the pot with foil, then the cover. This extra steps seals the pot a little better and allows the mix to braise a little more efficiently. Check every twenty minutes or so, for a total of one hour. Serve on smashed potatoes or rice.

As I said, this was pretty tasty. I changed my plans in the middle which accounts for the over salty dish we finally had. I planned to actually cook potatoes in the pot as well, so I salted a bit more liberally. Well, by not putting the potatoes in there, the salt stayed in the pot. If the potatoes were in there, they would have soaked up the salt and the final stew would have been seasoned pretty well. Oh well. I loved the sauce I ended up with! The beer flavor concentrates and pairs very well with the rosemary. I think you could skip the bourbon, or use less and add it at the very end. I couldn't taste it.

*What is Gravy Master?! When I was growing up, my grandmother's secret ingredient for most anything beef (and sometime's chicken) related was Kitchen Bouquet. When my mom cooked, she used it as well. Kitchen Bouquet and Gravy Master are basically the same thing. A blend of seasonings, vinegars, salts, sugars, flavorings, colorings and what-nots bottled together to flavorize and enhance kitchen dishes. I can't remember every having gravy for a roast or potatoes that didn't have K.B. in it. It's a nice little blend to have on hand to help things along and enhance a dish in a way that reminds me of my childhood. I knew that this dish was going to need a little something to make it better, so I pulled out my trusty bottle and pour a little in.