Simple Food: Garlic Beef (Carne de Ajo)

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Garlic Beef (Carne de Ajo)

I’m moving away from Tapas for now but sticking with Spanish dishes, this garlic beef is a wonderful example of Spanish cuisine.

Don’t crush or cut the garlic just peel each clove and use whole for a wonderfully gentle flavour.

For this particular dish I have used brisket, but you can use any slow cook beef such as chuck steak braising steak and so on.

For 4 servings to be served with vegetables of your choice, you will need;

1 tablespoon - Olive Oil

150 Gm - Unsmoked Bacon (cut into 1 cm pieces)

480 Gm – Brisket (cut into 2 cm cubes)

1 – Onion (chopped)

1 head – Garlic (divided into cloves)

225 Ml – Red Wine

2 – Cloves

1 – Bouquet Garni (marjoram, thyme, parsley and bay leaf)

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the bacon.

Fry on a medium heat for a few minutes until it gives off its fat then turn up the heat and add the beef.

Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until browned all over, then remove the beef and bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Put the onion and garlic into the juices and cook for 6 minutes on a medium heat stirring occasionally.

Stir in the wine, cloves, bouquet garni and a little pepper (don't add any salt until near the end of cooking you may not need it)

Return the meat to the pan, cover and cook gently for 2 hours, check from time to time that it still has enough liquid.

When you are nearing the end of cooking taste and add salt if necessary.

Serve hot

Simple Food