Beef, onions and red wine go into the Dutch oven. I brown the meat first, then let it braise gently with the lid on. The small potatoes cook whole in the sauce later.
Beef braised in red wine with potatoes
The sauce starts with the browned bits in the pot, fried onions, tomato purée, red wine and beef stock. Beef shoulder works well for this dish. At the end, check that the meat is tender: a fork should go in easily, and you should be able to slice it across the grain.
Recipe at a glance
Servings: etwa 4.
Preparation: about 30 minutes.
Simmering time: about 2½–3½ hours, longer for some cuts.
Total time: roughly 3–4 hours.
Cooking method: in a Dutch oven on a rocket stove or over a wood fire you can control.
The times are a guide. The beef should sit only partly in the liquid. Check the meat to see whether it's ready.
You need: a large enough Dutch oven with a close-fitting lid, tongs, a wooden spoon, a sharp knife, a chopping board and a plate for the browned meat.
Clarified butter works well for browning. If you use butter, don't let it burn. Beef stock can already be salty, so taste the sauce for seasoning only after reducing it.
Method
1. Prepare the meat and vegetables
Pat the meat thoroughly dry. Peel and dice the onions. Scrub the small potatoes under running water and leave them whole. They'll cook in the sauce later. Keep the wine and stock within reach.
2. Brown the beef on all sides
Heat the cooking fat in the Dutch oven. Put the beef in and leave it until the underside has browned. Turn it and brown the other sides. The pot needs enough heat for browning, but the fat shouldn't smoke. Remove the beef and put it on a plate.
3. Fry the onions and tomato purée
Lower the heat a little. Add the onions to the remaining fat and fry until golden, stirring. Stir in the tomato purée and cook briefly. It can darken but shouldn't burn on the bottom. Remove any blackened bits before continuing, or they'll make the sauce bitter.
4. Deglaze with red wine
Carefully pour in the red wine and loosen the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce a little with the lid off. Add beef stock and stir. Return the beef and its juices to the pot. The liquid should cover only part of the meat; don't fill the pot unnecessarily.
5. Braise gently with the lid on
Put the lid on and reduce the fire. The sauce should only simmer gently. A rocket stove can make the bottom of the pot very hot. Add wood sparingly and check that it's not boiling too hard. Turn the beef occasionally and check the liquid, adding stock if needed.
Cooking time depends on the cut and size of the beef. Check tenderness with a fork or thin skewer. If it's still difficult to pierce, give it longer over gentle heat. Don't rely on a fixed number of minutes alone.
6. Add the potatoes in time
Add the small potatoes whole to the sauce once the beef is noticeably softer but not quite tender. They absorb the flavour of the red wine and onion sauce as they cook. Allow roughly 30–60 minutes depending on size, and check with a knife that they're soft. Turn them gently in the sauce and keep the lid on. If they're ready before the meat, remove them and keep them covered and warm.
7. Finish the sauce and slice the beef
Remove the tender beef and let it rest briefly, covered. Take out the cooked potatoes too. If the sauce is too thin, reduce it without the lid, stirring along the bottom. Only now add pepper and salt if needed. Leave the softened onions in the sauce.
Slice the beef across the grain with a sharp knife. Return the slices and potatoes to the sauce to warm briefly. Don't let the sliced meat boil hard again.
Servieren
Put beef slices and potatoes on the plates and spoon over plenty of red wine and onion sauce. The side dish is already in the Dutch oven. That's all this meal needs.
Photos: Florian Gendritzki.