Beef Asado

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Crush the peppercorns (2 teaspoons) and squeeze the juice from the half lemon. Combine the whole beef chuck (3½ lb) piece with all the crushed peppercorns, soy sauce (6 tablespoons), white vinegar (1½ tablespoons), dried bay leaves (4), lemon juice and tomato sauce (8 oz) in a bowl.

   Uses 3½ lb beef chuck, kept as a braising piece · 2 teaspoons peppercorns, crushed now · 6 tablespoons Soy Sauce · 1½ tablespoons white vinegar · 4 dried bay leaves · Juice squeezed from ½ lemon · 8 oz tomato sauce for the marinade

2. 2

   Step 2: Turn the beef to coat it thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate in its marinade for at least 30 minutes.

   Minimum beef marinating time · 30 minUses The beef and all the freshly mixed marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: Transfer the beef and every part of its remaining marinade into a cooking pot.

   Uses All the marinated beef and all the liquid marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Add all three cups water and bring the complete mixture, including the raw-beef-contact marinade, to a full boil.

   Uses The beef and its marinade in the cooking pot · 3 cups Water

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the beef stock cube (1) and stir until it dissolves into the liquid.

   Uses The boiling beef and marinade mixture · 1 beef stock cube

6. 6

   Step 6: Cover the pot, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

   First beef braise · 40 minUses The entire braise

7. 7

   Step 7: Turn the beef piece over in the braising liquid.

   Uses The beef in its cooking liquid

8. 8

   Step 8: Stir both tablespoons tomato paste (2 tablespoons) into the liquid. Cover and continue gently simmering until the beef is fully tender; the required additional time depends on the thickness and cut.

   Uses The turned beef and its cooking liquid · 2 tablespoons tomato paste, added after the first braise

9. 9

   Step 9: Lift the tender beef onto a plate and keep it covered and warm. Hold all its cooked braising sauce separately for finishing the dish.

   Uses The finished braise

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash, peel and slice the two potatoes and large carrot (1 large) into serving pieces. Heat the half cup frying oil in a pan; hold the sliced vegetables ready to fry.

    Uses ½ cup olive oil for frying · 2 medium potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced now · 1 large carrot, washed, peeled and sliced now

11. 11

    Step 11: Fry the potato slices in the hot oil, turning to brown both sides and continuing until the pieces are tender through the centre.

    Uses All the slices from two potatoes · The oil heated in the pan

12. 12

    Step 12: Lift the potatoes onto a clean plate. Fry the carrot slices in the same pan until browned and tender, then lift them onto the plate with the potatoes. Keep both cooked vegetables for serving and retain the frying oil in the pan.

    Uses The cooked potatoes and the oil remaining in the frying pan · All the slices from the large carrot

13. 13

    Step 13: Measure and retain three tablespoons of the used frying oil in the pan for sautéing. Remove the remaining excess oil; this is oil already used for the vegetables, not a new half cup.

    Uses 3 tablespoons actually retained from the used frying oil

14. 14

    Step 14: Peel and chop the onion (1) and garlic (4). Sauté all of them in the reserved three tablespoons oil until the onion softens.

    Uses The actual three tablespoons used frying oil · 1 onion, peeled and chopped now · 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped now

15. 15

    Step 15: Pour all the cooked braising sauce into the pan with the softened onion and garlic.

    Uses All the softened aromatics in the retained oil · All the sauce held separately when the tender beef was lifted

16. 16

    Step 16: Bring the sauce to the boil, then return the tender beef to the pan.

    Uses The sauce combined with sautéed onion and garlic · The tender beef held aside

17. 17

    Step 17: Cook the beef in the finishing sauce for two minutes.

    Heat beef in finishing sauce · 2 minUses The beef returned to the sauce

18. 18

    Step 18: Add all three tablespoons butter and stir gently until it melts into the hot sauce.

    Uses The beef and its finishing sauce · 3 tbs Butter

19. 19

    Step 19: Continue cooking until the sauce reduces to about half its volume. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Lift out the beef, slice it into serving pieces and arrange on a platter with the fried potatoes and carrot. Spoon the reduced sauce over the beef and serve warm with cooked rice in five portions.

    Uses The beef and its butter-enriched sauce · All the finished fried vegetable pieces · Cooked rice, as needed for serving