Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: Braised Beef with Pancetta, Mushrooms and Red Wine
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Christina Zeiders
The chefs at Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television have perfected a no-nonsense pot roast spin on a classic French boeuf bourguignon, brightened with a generous handful of fresh herbs. It all comes together in just 2 hours and 40 minutes with the help of an Instant Pot. Here’s what they have to say:
For faster cooking, we divide a chuck roast into three pieces by pulling the roast apart at its natural seams, then trim away the excess fat. Tying each piece with kitchen twine compacts the shapes so all the pieces fit in the pot and cook evenly. The parsley and tarragon aren’t needed until the very end, so to save time and ensure that their flavors and color stay fresh, prep them during the natural pressure release. Chunks of warm, crusty bread or buttery mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment for this hearty braise.
Don’t discard the fat left in the pot after cooking the pancetta. Using it to brown the tomato paste creates a meaty, flavorful base for the braise.
Start to finish: 2 hours 40 minutes (40 minutes active); Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 4½- to 5-pound boneless beef chuck roast, pulled apart at the natural seams into 3 pieces, trimmed, each piece tied with twine at 1-inch intervals
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
- 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon
In a small bowl, mix together the nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Use to season the beef on all sides. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select Normal/Medium Sauté. Add the oil and pancetta, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered its fat but is not yet crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
To the fat remaining in the pot, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, ¼ cup water, and scrape any browned bits. Nestle the beef in the pot.
Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 1 hour. When pressure cooking is complete, let the pressure reduce naturally for 25 minutes, then quick-release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel then open the pot.
Transfer the beef to a cutting board and tent with foil. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with ¼ cup of the cooking liquid until smooth, then stir into the pot along with the mushroom mixture. Select Normal/Medium Sauté. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Press Cancel to turn off the pot. Stir in the parsley and tarragon, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Cut the beef into ½-inch slices against the grain, removing the twine as you go. Arrange the slices on a platter, then pour the sauce over the top.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
