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Beef or Game in Red Wine Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Beginner's Guide to Canning" by Diane Devereaux


Recipe Introduction

"Try this traditional recipe with beef, venison, elk, or bison. The caramelized onions and robust red wine make a delicious foundation of flavors. I prefer to use a Spanish malbec, but any cabernet will also work splendidly. Use any cut of meat that suits your fancy because even tougher cuts tenderize when slow-cooked and then pressure canned."

List of Ingredients

◦ 6 tablespoons butter, divided
◦ 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
◦ 8 pounds boneless chuck or round steak (or venison, elk, or bison), cut into 1-inch cubes
◦ 2 large sweet onions, sliced
◦ 8 cloves garlic, minced
◦ 4 small apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
◦ 2 teaspoons ground thyme
◦ 1 teaspoon salt
◦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
◦ 2 cups dry red wine
◦ 2 cups beef stock
◦ 2 bay leaves


Recipe

This recipe is hot packed, so have clean jars resting in hot water. In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches of about 2 pounds at a time, sear the meat for roughly 10 seconds per side until it is lightly browned on all sides. The meat should not be cooked through. Place the seared meat in a bowl. Cook the second batch in the fat remaining in the pot. After cooking the first two batches, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the stockpot for searing the last two batches.

To the same stockpot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onions, and garlic. Mix well, scraping the meaty bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and add the apples. Cook the mixture for 15 minutes, or until the onions caramelize and are browned and softened, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, mix well, and cook for 5 more minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Slowly pour the wine into the stockpot, stirring constantly and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the beef stock. Add the cubed meat and bay leaves, mix well, and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour to reduce down and thicken the sauce.

Place the hot jars on a cutting board. Using a funnel, ladle the hot mixture into the jars leaving a generous 1-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and add additional mixture if necessary to maintain the generous 1-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a warm washcloth dipped in distilled white vinegar. Place a lid and ring on each jar and hand-tighten.

Fill the pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and add 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar. Place the jars in the pressure canner, lock the pressure canner lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the canner vent for 10 minutes. Close the vent and continue heating to achieve 11 PSI for a dial gauge and 10 PSI for a weighted gauge. Process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 75 minutes. After the processing time has been reached, turn off the heat. Allow the pressure in the canner to reach zero on its own, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Safely remove the canner lid and allow the jars to sit for 10 minutes inside the canner before removing.

Makes 6 quarts or 12 pints