Portland Wine

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This month’s recipe for our wine club ( purevinewines.com ) is really cool and pairs great with red wine.

Creole Daube

There are many variations of this classic dish and I’ve never had one that wasn’t satisfying. This is an Italian leaning version which I like because of the fried (almost burnt) tomato paste that acts as the roux. Excellent additions to this recipe would be anchovies, olives, and capers. Make it as spicy as you like, but go easy if you want it to pair well with the syrah. I suggest using Top sirloin but you really can use any roast as this is essentially a pot roast. It can be cooked in a Dutch oven, a crackpot or any pot with a lid. This is a slow cooked meal and needs to be started early in the day. If you enjoy this dish, I urge you to try making some of the different styles and recipes of it that are out there. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 or 5 pound Top Sirloin roast

2 Tbl tomato paste

Olive oil 


Thyme

2 medium yellow onions - medium dice


1 bay leaf 


1 green bell pepper - medium dice


Oregano 


1 head of garlic - peeled and chopped


Cayenne or hot sauce

2 (15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes- chopped 


Salt and black pepper

2 (6-ounce) cans tomato sauce 


One cup good dry red wine

½ cup good parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 


4 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces 


½ pound sliced (or quartered) mushrooms

Optional: One package cooked spaghetti for serving

Directions: Cut the roast in half, and deeply brown each half on all sides in the olive oil in a large skillet. Remove and set aside. Sauté onions and bell pepper in remaining olive oil in the skillet for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and sauté a bit longer. If you can, let the tomato paste fry up and begin caramelizing.
Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. While this mixture slowly simmers, add the herbs, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Add wine and parmesan. Let simmer about 30 minutes. 
After it has simmered for about 45 minutes, add carrots, mushrooms, both pieces of roast, and any juices that have accumulated. Cover and cook over low heat for at least five hours. Remove beef and pull apart using a couple of forks; if it doesn’t want to come apart then it has not been cooked long enough. If necessary, put the beef back into the gravy and cook on low another 30 minutes. Can be served over spaghetti with additional cheese or eaten on its own.