Well folks, I finally got dirty with her. She is no longer a virgin...
It took awhile for me to take that first step, but I finally did it.
Here's the recipe:
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Ingredients:2 pounds chuck roast, cut in chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mad Hunky's Just Add Beef rub
2 medium onions
2 sprigs rosemary, plus 1 tbs finely chopped leaves for garnish
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 tbs chopped basil
8 cloves garlic
1 big carrot, peeled
Olive oil
2 cups red wine
1 28-ounce can peeled whole plum tomatoes
1 tbs finely grated orange zest
1 pound pappardelle pasta
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Destructions:Pat the beef chunks dry with a paper towel. Liberally coat the beef chunks with JAB, salt and pepper and set aside. Peel and coarsely chop the onions, and chop the garlic. Chop the carrot into thin rounds.
Place the Dutch Oven over medium-high heat (Weber), and add olive oil to cover the bottom thinly. When oil is hot, add the beef and brown deeply.
When the meat is thoroughly browned, add the onions. Lower the heat, and cook slowly over medium heat until the onions are golden. Add the rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, and the carrots. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until vegetables are softened.
Add wine and continue to simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Crush the tomatoes in the can with a fork or back of a spoon, then add them and their juices to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover and place in a 275-degree oven (Weber) for 3 to 4 hours. When ready to serve, go through with two forks and shred any remaining chunks of meat. Taste and season if necessary with additional salt and pepper.
Serve over pasta, and sprinkle each serving with a pinch of orange zest and rosemary, and a spoonful of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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Changes: I made a double batch. Lots of mouths to feed...
I used crushed tomatoes.
I used two larger onions
I replaced the pappardelle pasta with campanelle pasta
I eliminated the orange zest. All I had were tangerines, and they do NOT zest nicely.
The Event:First, the "Mess In Place":
Next, I got a chimney of RO briquets nice and hot, placed center stage on the coal grate. Drizzled the EVOO in the pan, got it hot, and in goes the meat:
Added the veggies and herbs:
Added the wine and let it reduce, then added the tomatoes:
I noticed as RedHead was getting hot, she turned a deeper red, almost burgundy:
Time to eat:
Thanks for looking!