Featured Recipe
Braised Beef Parmentier with Oka
By Kate
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A slow-cooked beef shoulder roast braised in wine and homemade stock, shredded and baked under a garlicky potato mash with melted Oka cheese. Finished with spiced maple-glazed cherry tomatoes for a sharp contrast. Layers of bold umami, creamy textures, and vibrant bursts from the confit tomatoes offer a rustic yet refined dish. Technique-driven, precise reductions, efficient braising, and griddled cheese topping ensure a hearty meal free from gluten, nuts, and eggs.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
6 servings
main dish
beef recipes
gluten-free
French cuisine
comfort food
Introduction
Slow braising. Patience beats haste here—low, steady heat draws beef’s deep flavor and tender pull apart texture. Browning creates the complex aroma base; don’t rush or crowd the pan. Layer in garlic and onions for sweetness, wine deglazing unlocks fond into rich sauce. Reduction thickens, concentrates flavor–vital to watch, don’t let scorch or evaporate dry. Potato mash with butter and cream adds silky richness against chewy beef. Garlic in mash wakes it up. Oka cheese—a Quebec classic—melts creamy with a pungent bite; thick slices broiled to bubbly gold. Tomatoes slow-cooked with maple and chipotle offer sweet-smoky balance, fresh parsley adds brightness. Timing key: confit tomatoes labeled “just right” when skins wrinkle but still holding shape; avoid turning mushy. Layer firmly but gently - so you keep structure and moisture. Resting after oven crucial: flavors settle and finish melding. This layering of textures and bold notes, simple components, nuanced steps. Approach methodical, learn the signals. Never underestimate finishing steps. Shift ingredients to match pantry but keep basic techniques intact. Watch and trust senses.
Ingredients
Braised beef
- 1 paleron de boeuf désossé environ 1 kg (2 1/4 lb), trimmed
- 25 ml huile d’olive (1 1/2 c. à soupe)
- 1 oignon, diced
- 3 gousses d’ail, minced
- 200 ml vin rouge sec (3/4 tasse)
- 450 ml bouillon de légumes maison (1 3/4 tasse)
- Sel et poivre fraîchement moulu
- 850 g pommes de terre pelées, coupées en cubes (environ 4 1/2 tasses)
- 50 ml beurre froid en dés (3 1/2 c. à soupe)
- 90 ml crème 35% (1/3 tasse + 1 c. à soupe)
- 1 gousse d’ail, finement hachée
- 180 g fromage Oka, tranché
- 200 ml tomates cerises rouges, coupées en deux
- 10 ml huile d’olive (2 c. à thé)
- 7 ml sirop d’érable pur (1 1/2 c. à thé)
- 7 ml pâte de chipotle (substitute harissa, smoky spice)
- 25 ml persil plat frais ciselé (1 1/2 c. à soupe)
Potato mash
Confited tomatoes
About the ingredients
Swapped chicken broth for vegetable for cleaner flavor and less grease; helps better reduction consistency. Reduced beef weight by about 15% for shorter cook time; still moist. Added chipotle in place of harissa for smoky heat rather than North African spice note. Cream replaced milk partially for silkier mash texture. Butter quantity cut slightly to balance fat from cheese and braising fat residue. Sliced Oka used generously to keep topping intact under broiler, melts uniformly without drying. Potatoes chosen medium starch (like Yukon Gold) for creamy mash that holds shape better under heat. Garlic quantities adjusted—extra in braise, fine minced in mash to balance punch and aroma. Maple syrup amount cut down compared to original for subtler sweetness with chipotle. Olive oil slightly reduced to prevent overpowering cooking fat. Parsley added fresh at end to brighten dish and cut richness. Suggested substitutions in notes for accessibility and flavor tweaks without damage to technique. Avoid nuts, gluten, eggs entirely; no cross contamination suggested in cooking methods.
Method
Braised beef
- Heat heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add olive oil; wait till shimmers. Pat beef dry, season liberally with salt and pepper. Sear each side until deep brown crust forms, 2-3 minutes per face; listen to sizzle, see caramelization. Remove, rest aside on plate.
- Lower heat to medium. Toss in diced onion and 2 cloves garlic. Stir until translucent, roughly 5 minutes. Deglaze pot with red wine, scraping fond with wooden spoon – aroma sharp and fragrant. Bring to boil., then add vegetable broth. Submerge beef again, partially covered. Simmer gently (not boiling hard!) for 2 hrs 15 mins, lid on. Peek at juices–should bubble quietly, meat loose.
- Remove lid, turn heat to low. Reduce liquid by half, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 35-40 minutes. Meat must shred with gentle prod of a fork. Take beef out, let cool slightly. Strain juices into rectangular ceramic dish roughly 28x23 cm. Skim excess fat from surface.
- Shred beef finely by hand; chop coarsely if you prefer chunks. Mix beef well with reduced broth, ensuring moist texture. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring large pot salted water to rolling boil. Add potato cubes, cook 20-25 minutes till fork tender–check often to avoid falling apart. Drain thoroughly.
- Return potatoes to pot over low heat to dry excess moisture. Mash immediately with cold butter cubes–helps steam evaporate, butter emulsifies. Warm cream and garlic separately; fold into mash gradually. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Consistency should hold shape but remain whipped and airy.
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F) with rack centered. Spread shredded beef evenly in broth in baking dish. Cover with mashed potatoes, smooth surface carefully but firmly with spatula.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, edges bubbling, surface barely browning. Lay sliced Oka cheese thickly across potato top. Switch grill setting; broil 4-6 minutes until cheese melts and blisters golden brown, watch closely — cheese burns fast. Remove, rest 10 minutes to set layers—important or potatoes slide.
- While dish bakes, heat skillet on medium-low. Add olive oil, then cherry tomatoes cut-side down. Let them gently sizzle without stirring much, about 7 minutes. Drizzle in maple syrup and chipotle paste, stir lightly to coat. Cook another 4-5 minutes until tomatoes just collapse, skins wrinkle, juices thicken slightly.
- Scatter confit tomatoes over warm parmentier. Sprinkle fresh parsley atop for bright color and herbal freshness. Serve immediately.
- TIP: Use vegetable broth as slower reduction holds better flavor, less fat than chicken broth. Cream substitutes: half & half or whole milk but avoid skim; adjust butter quantities accordingly.
- If no Oka, Gruyère or aged cheddar will add excellent sharpness. For gentler heat swap chipotle for mild smoked paprika.
- Keep eye on oven bake times; potatoes puff differently based on variety and size. When shred beef: shredding while warm retains moisture; cool too much and meat clumps.
- Broil cheese last minute to avoid drying mash. Watch tomatoes; confit slowly to intensify flavor without breaking down completely.
- Skimming fat from braising juices critical—too greasy ruins balance. Prefer easier deglazing? Replace red wine with robust beer, same quantity.
- Serve with crisp green salad or steamed green beans for fresh counterpoint.
Potato mash
Assembly and finish
Confited tomatoes
Technique Tips
Sear beef until uniform crust—do not move too soon; crust locks juices. Keep heat medium-high for crust without burning. Deglazing with wine after onions soften is essential to extract flavor stuck to pan. Let wine reduce partially before adding broth to avoid bitter raw alcohol taste. Simmer beef gently to breakdown collagen; constant simmer, not boil, keeps meat tender and moist. Cover during initial braise captures steam, helps even cooking. Reduction uncovered concentrates juices and thickens sauce; watch for aroma changes and viscosity cues. Beef shredding best warm to semi-warm for shredding ease and moisture retention. Drain pot juices and degrease with spoon or chilled fat solidification and remove surface before mixing with shred. Kidney or celery root mash possible but potato better for balance here. Boiling potatoes until tender but not mushy prevents gluey mash; dry potatoes before mashing to prevent wateriness. Use cold butter to emulsify and firm up mash texture, adding cream warms gently without making thin. Layer meat and mash firmly to keep form but avoid pounding which breaks fibers. Bake until edges bubble and smell toasted. Arrange cheese slices overlapping generously for even melting; broil only at end—cheese under heat too long gets grainy or oily. Confiting tomatoes hot and slow keeps skin intact yet releases juices and softens interiors—stir gently to avoid bursting. Toasted maple syrup before adding chipotle paste lets sugars caramelize subtly. Finish with fresh parsley to cut fat and add color. Rest final dish at least 10 minutes covered loosely with foil to firm layers and let gravy redistribute. Best served hot but not molten. Correct timing balance between steps key for layered flavors and textures.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Sear beef to lock moisture. Hear that sizzle? Crust forms. Don’t rush—wait 2-3 minutes each side. Deep brown means flavor holds strong.
- 💡 Deglazing is key. Wine or robust beer. Scrape the pan well—extract everything. Let it boil fully before broth enters. Avoid bitterness.
- 💡 Potatoes must be checked often. Test for fork tenderness but can’t be mushy. Drain and dry excess moisture—dry before mashing.
- 💡 Oka cheese is versatile. No Oka? Gruyère or aged cheddar give a punch. Watch the broil; cheese can burn quickly. Golden brown, take out.
- 💡 For confited tomatoes, medium-low heat is crucial. Let them sizzle, skins wrinkle but hold shape. Caramelize lightly with syrup and chipotle.
