A Five Star Cheap Dinner

This is the kind of food I love to prepare. It is simply my favorite way to cook. Take a not so great cut of meat but chose the right technique for preparing it and you have a dish that could be served in the best restaurants for a fraction of the price. Wouldn't this look great served in a trifle bowl on a holiday buffet?


December 10th.


This dish started with this 'buy one get one free' bottom round roast. The 4 1/2 pound roast cost $6.00.

I trimmed most of the fat off of it and sliced it into 1 inch thick steaks.


Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I had a rutabaga left from thanksgiving so I added it. I would have used parsnips and turnips but I was out of them. If anyone is turning their noses up at this point, don't! These vegetables add depth of flavor. The individual flavors are not discernible.


To 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add diced pancetta, cook until crispy and remove from the oil.


Season the steaks with lots of cracked black pepper.


Sprinkle on sea salt.


Dust with garlic powder.


Dip each seasoned steak into flour and coat lightly.


Oops..this is not in order. But when you are frying the pancetta, add a few anchovies. Again, the anchovy flavor will not be discernible but adds tremendous flavor to the overall dish.



You might need to add a bit more oil to the pot.


Brown the steaks on both sides in hot oil.


You want a nice crispy crust.


Remove the steaks and set them aside.


Leave the drippings in the pot.


Add the vegetables to the hot oil.


Cook just until they start to soften a bit. This will only take a minute or two.


Add two cups of red wine.


Add back the fried pancetta.


Add two 15oz. cans of crushed tomatoes.



Add 2 cups of water.


Add 4 bay leaves.


Add 3 tablespoons of beef demi glace' or beef flavoring. If it is salted be careful of adding additional salt.


Add the beef back to the pot along with any juices.


Submerse it in the liquids.


Add a couple spoons of maggi or kitchen bouquet.


Add a couple beef marrow bones.


Submerse them too. Cover the pot and place it in a 300 degree oven. Cook it for 3-4 hours.



It is ready when the meat can easily be shredded using two forks.


Remove all of the marrow from the bones and stir into the liquid until it is totally blended in. This adds a silky sheen and wonderful flavor.


Add the shredded beef back to the juice and set aside. Boil small rigatonis. The ridges on the side help to carry the sauce with each bite.


Cook the pasta just to al dente.


Mix the pasta with the meat mixture.


The flavors in this dish are just mind boggling. And all for about $10.00.

***The giveaway ends tomorrow morning so there is still time to enter by clicking on the button on the sidebar.

Comments

Will you legally adopt me so I can come and eat at your house every night?
Chris said…
Yum, yum and yum!! This looks amazing...winter comfort food at its finest!
Yes, I would also like to be adopted! :)
FANTASTIC! This one goes in the Recipe Keeper notebooks I have bought the girls for Christmas!
Yep. FANTASTIC!
Thanks again, oh GREAT Goddess of the kitchen! I am learning so much from you and one of them is that I need to go to the market and buy a few things...like Kitchen Bouquet and Demi-Glace!
Love,
Mona
And me with a bottom round just sitting in the freezer! I'm not kidding my stomach is growling just reading the recipe. How about a bowl of this with a big piece of No Knead Sour Dough Bread, flavor of your choice. This will be happening in my kitchen the first of next week or sooner.
Julie Ferguson said…
A new way to fix a pasta dish, thanks!
Mystica said…
I didn't know anyone who mentioned marrow bones. That was looked forward to when I was a child!
SharleneT said…
It's a good thing you have big house to hold all of 'adopted' children! Yummy, this is good! Thanks for sharing and come visit when you can..
Rusthawk said…
Is there room for me along with Debra? This looks delicious!
My mouth is watering. Excellent sauce recipe. The dish is decorative!

Thank you.

xoxo to "Teddy Christmas Fluffs".
Ann said…
I would have to say that dish might qualify for the ultimate in comfort food. I could seriously dig into that right now. Darn that looks delicious.
I bet left overs are even good at your place.
I love good bargin and those that taste good.

Coffee is on.
Lois said…
Now this is something that everyone in my family would eat! Even the horribly fussy ones...
Anonymous said…
That looks so delicious and it´s so easy to make too! Perfect food to bring to work too.

Have a great day now!
Christer.
Guillaume said…
Why am I always hungry when I read your blog? Almost more a stew than pasta. a pasta stew?
is there enough room for me too.....

o man...this looks so good !!!!