Polenta cakes With Braised beef and Horseradish Sauce

Tags

appetizer, beef, braise, horseradish, polenta, recipe, Slow cook

Hello fellow foodies! I know it has been a while since I’ve posted a new recipe.  What better way to get back into the swing of things  than this fantastic, delicious and easy to make recipe.  I originally made this recipe with the intention to serve as an appetizer during the Holidays.  It came out so good that now my friends are expecting me to make it every time we all get together.  Although, I have to agree with them- this  is a simple, quick, and easy to put together kind of dish – Try it! I am sure your friends will be raving  about it as well!

1. 2 Lbs of beef chuck.
2. 1/4 Cup of red wine.
3. 1/2 Cup of beef stock.
4. 1/2 cup of sliced onions (shallots work very well too).
5. 3 Tbsp of all purpose flour.
6. 3 Tbsp of tomato paste.
7. 3 Cloves of garlic (crushed).
8. 5-7 Sprigs of Thyme.
9. 1/2 Tsp of salt.
10. 2 Tbsp of fresh ground pepper.
11. 2-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil.

Horseradish Sauce

1. 8 oz. of sour cream.
2. 1/2 lemon juice.
3. 1/2 tsp of salt.
4. 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
5. 3 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
6. 1/4 cup of horseradish.

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set in the fridge.  You can make this a day ahead as this will intensify  the flavor a lot better.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a dutch oven heat  2 Tbsp of oil then add the beef seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown the beef on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, set aside.  Add remaining oil to dutch oven along with the onions and garlic and cook till translucent (about 8 minutes). Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes until tomato paste becomes fragrant.   Mix in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the wine and beef stock using a whisk to dissolve any lumps and bring to a boil.  Add the remaining black pepper, thyme and the beef, cover and set in the oven.  Allow it to cook for 1.5 – 2 hours or until the meat is tender.  Remove meat from the dutch oven and shred with 2 forks, then add it back to the pot and mix it well with the sauce.

Polenta:

For this dish I chose to use store bought polenta.  This reduced the cooking time dramatically. All you have to do is slice the polenta about 1/2 to 1 inch thick and heat in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.  Arrange the slices in a serving platter and top each cake with the shredded beef and a dab of horseradish sauce, sit back and watch your friends go wild over them!! Cheers!