Ever dig through the freezer, move things around, take things out, put everything back in and come back 3 hours later to find you forgot to put something away and now its half-thawed? Yeah – me either – cough, cough. But let’s say that happened, and now you have a 3 lb chuck steak sitting in your laundry sink (because, its next to the deep freezer in your teeny, tiny house). What to do, what to do.

Braise it, add red wine, onions and cook it low and slow for a few hours and voila – tender, juicy, and fall apart, fork tender steak for dinner. Bonus if its cold and snowy out that day.  Forgive the sad photo – I got distracted by my sous chefs and forgot to finish taking them!

Because my in-laws raise cattle, we usually have a steady supple of red meat tucked into the deep freezer. Roasts aren’t my favorite (or my husbands) but I’ve found that a nice sear, a halfway decent bottle of wine (read: under $10 but over $3) and some veggies produce a warm, tender and out of this world steak that can be used as a main with almost any side. Mashed potatoes, polenta, risotto, roasted vegetables, sauteed beans, the list is endless.

Recipe:

• 2-4 lbs chuck steak
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1-2 onions
• handful of carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery, or other root veggies (if desired
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (if you have them great, if not, not a deal breaker)

Using a good sized dutch oven (or other pan that can be covered and used in the oven) add two tablespoons of oil (I used grapeseed because of it’s high smoke point) and once shimmering, add steak. Sear for 8-10 minutes (without moving) or until the underside is brown and crusty. Flip over and cook the otherside until nicely browned and toasted.

Once both sides are cooked, add a bottle of wine, sliced onions and other veggies / garlic. Place in the oven at 275 and roast for 3-4 hours. Serve hot with sides, over bread, whatever your heart desires.

Bon Appetit!

ps – check back later this week for leftover recipes that stretch this meal into a budget-friendly dinner and lunch.