Braised Beef Shoulder with Sunchokes, Carrots, and Pearl Onions
Heating up some of the leftovers... Finally got around to getting a picture. Food first, then photos
This recipe gave me a use for my preserved lemons, which I wrote about here. The beef is braised in a flavorful broth of diced preserved lemons, cilantro, and Middle Eastern spices. The sweet, earthy flavors of sunchokes and pearl onions come out in the long braise and balance out the spice and sourness of the sauce. My produce store was out of sunchokes when I made this, so I substituted parsnips and celery root with good results.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3 1/2-pound) beef shoulder; ask your butcher for the fattest part
coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups pearl onions, peeled
3 large carrots, peeled, trimmed, and roughly chopped
3 pounds Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup diced preserved lemon
freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 275 F.
Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the beef to a platter and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the paprika, cumin, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Add the pearl onions, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes, season with salt, and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in 4 cups water and the cilantro, preserved lemon, and lemon juice. Return the beef to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours, turning the meat halfway through.
