Beef en Cocotte with Mushroom Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 23, 2009
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-pound) top sirloin beef roast, trimmed and tied once around the middle (see illustration below)Salt and ground black pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean, and sliced ¼ inch thick (see note)1 medium onion, minced3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, liquid strained and reserved, and mushrooms minced2 sprigs fresh tarragon 1 tablespoon tomato paste ¼ cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons cognac 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Before You Begin
If you can’t find cremini mushrooms, feel free to substitute button, shiitake, or finely chopped portobello mushrooms. Be sure to trim the meat well or you’ll wind up with a greasy sauce; feel free to ask your butcher to trim and tie the roast for you.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the beef well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the beef to a large plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cremini mushrooms, onion, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and tarragon, cover, and cook until the mushrooms are softened and wet, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are dry and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in the reserved porcini soaking liquid, wine, and cognac, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Off the heat, nestle the beef, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Place a large sheet of foil over the pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the very center of the roast registers 120 to 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 45 to 75 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Stir the chicken broth into the vegetables and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, remove the tarragon, whisk in the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.
- Remove the twine, slice the meat against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve.
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-pound) top sirloin beef roast, trimmed and tied once around the middle (see illustration below)
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean, and sliced ¼ inch thick (see note)
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, liquid strained and reserved, and mushrooms minced
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cognac
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-pound) top sirloin beef roast, trimmed and tied once around the middle (see illustration below)
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean, and sliced ¼ inch thick (see note)
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, liquid strained and reserved, and mushrooms minced
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cognac
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-pound) top sirloin beef roast, trimmed and tied once around the middle (see illustration below)
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean, and sliced ¼ inch thick (see note)
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, liquid strained and reserved, and mushrooms minced
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons cognac
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For our beef en cocotte recipe, we chose top sirloin for its bold, beefy flavor. After trimming any excess fat from the roast, we tied it to ensure even cooking. To build flavor for our beef en cocotte recipe, we caramelized onions in the pot after the beef was seared, deglazed the pot with sherry, and then placed the beef on top of the onions, covering the pot. We then cooked the roast in the oven until the beef was medium-rare.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find cremini mushrooms, feel free to substitute button, shiitake, or finely chopped portobello mushrooms. Be sure to trim the meat well or you’ll wind up with a greasy sauce; feel free to ask your butcher to trim and tie the roast for you.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the beef well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the beef to a large plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cremini mushrooms, onion, garlic, porcini mushrooms, and tarragon, cover, and cook until the mushrooms are softened and wet, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are dry and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in the reserved porcini soaking liquid, wine, and cognac, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Off the heat, nestle the beef, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Place a large sheet of foil over the pot and press to seal, then cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until the very center of the roast registers 120 to 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 45 to 75 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the beef to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Stir the chicken broth into the vegetables and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, remove the tarragon, whisk in the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.
- Remove the twine, slice the meat against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and serve.
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