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Grillades Stew with Creole Rice

Source of Recipe

From "Secrets of the Southern Table" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"My friend and colleague chef Kelly English is the executive chef and owner of Restaurant Iris and The Second Line in Memphis. His style of cooking is deeply rooted in his Louisiana upbringing and heavily influenced by his world travels. As a New Orleans native, I asked him how he felt about the traditional beef and gravy dish known as grillades. He responded, 'I have strong grillade feelings. My father used to make it almost every Sunday for us when I was a kid. It is served for brunch and is the official midnight meal at Mardi Gras balls. It doesn't fit in the one definition of any meal, but is appropriate at all of them.' These grillades have absolutely nothing to do with the grill. Pronounced 'gree-ahds,' they are traditionally a cutlet of veal, pork, or beef simmered in Creole gravy. I've adapted the basic flavors of grillades into a rich, savory stew that can be made in the oven or on the stovetop, although I prefer the oven. It's less likely to scorch on the bottom and produces a silky-smooth gravy."

List of Ingredients

For the Grillades:
â—¦ 3 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 cup red wine
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
â—¦ â…“ cup canola oil, plus more if needed
â—¦ 1 sweet onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 celery stalks, chopped
â—¦ 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
â—¦ 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
â—¦ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
â—¦ 2 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat low-sodium chicken broth
â—¦ 3 sprigs thyme

For the Creole Rice:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 shallot, chopped
â—¦ 2 cups long-grain rice, such as Carolina Gold, jasmine, or basmati
â—¦ 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
â—¦ 3 cups homemade chicken stock, reduced-fat low-sodium chicken broth, or water
â—¦ 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
â—¦ 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

To make the grillades, place the meat in a resealable container and pour the wine over the meat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to overnight.

When ready to prepare the grillades, transfer the beef from the wine to a plate. Stir in the Creole seasoning. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy Dutch oven until shimmering. Dredge the beef in the flour on all sides, shaking off the excess. Add the beef to the oil and sear on all sides until dark brown, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. (Using the same plate is fine with regard to food safety since you're going to cook the meat again.)

Reserve ½ cup of the seasoned flour and discard the rest. Add the onion, celery, and peppers to the residual oil in the Dutch oven and stir to coat and combine. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables wilt and color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the reserved seasoned flour and cook until the flour turns brown, 3 minutes. (The mixture will be thick and pasty.) Combine the reserved wine marinade and tomato paste. Whisk to combine so that there are no lumps of tomato paste and then add the marinade-paste mixture and the stock to the pot. Stir to combine.

Return the seared beef and any accumulated juices to the pot and turn the meat in the gravy to coat. Toss the thyme sprigs on top and cover the pot with its lid. If cooking on the stovetop, reduce the heat to medium-low. Or, at this point, transfer the pot to the oven. Cook, spooning sauce over the meat occasionally, until the meat is very tender and falling apart like a stew, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, about 30 minutes before the beef is ready, prepare the Creole Rice. Heat the oven to 350° F if you haven't already. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan with a lid over medium heat until foaming. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook, stirring continuously, until the rice is coated with butter and lightly toasted. Add the Creole seasoning, stock, and bay leaf; stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover with the lid and transfer to the heated oven. (You can also cook the rice on the stovetop, but I find that baking produces better results for individual, separate grains of rice.)

Bake or cook on the stovetop until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork just before serving.

To serve the grillades, taste and adjust for seasoning with the salt and pepper. Spoon a heaping serving of the Creole rice into a shallow bowl. Top with a spoonful of the tender meat and the rich gravy.

Serves 6