Recipe: Red Wine Braised Beef with Winter Squash "Mash" and Apple Gremolata from Quiessence

You're lucky, readers--this recipe was crafted just for you by Chef Greg LaPrad of Quiessence Restaurant & Wine Bar. LaPrad made this dish using ingredients currently available at Quiessence, which rotates its menu daily. The dish uses a braising technique, which is applicable to many different cuts of meat. That's important to LaPrad, since Quiessence uses the whole animal, rather than one part from many.

"It's a dish that's reflective of the philosophy of what we do here," LaPrad says. "It's part of sustainability."

Cooks may braise the beef ahead of time, since it keeps several days. Here's how to make it:

6 Servings

For the beef:
5 pounds piece chuck roast or similar cut
2 cups red wine
2 ounces red wine vinegar
3 large onions (cut into large pieces)
3 carrots (peeled and cut into ½" pieces)
6 ribs of celery (cut into ½" pieces)
½ head of garlic
2 fresh bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 cups of beef stock
1 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

For the Squash "Mash":
2 large butternut squash
2 large acorn squash
8 ounces of butter
½ ounce white wine vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

For the Apple Gremolata:
2 Grannysmith apples (peeled and diced)
¼ cup chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Season the piece of beef well with salt and pepper and allow to rest. In a large roasting pan or rondo, heat the vegetable oil. Sear the beef in the oil, browning on all sides. Remove the beef from the oil and add the carrots, celery and onions, and season the vegetables and lightly brown the vegetables in the oil. Remove any excess oil, and de-glaze the pan with the red wine. Reduce the wine by half, and add the garlic, fresh herbs, red wine vinegar and beef stock. Return the beef to the pan, cover and roast in a 350-degree oven for 3-4 hours, rotating the beef every hour until the beef is tender.

Half the butternut and acorn squash, and remove the seeds. Lightly coat with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 350-degree oven approximately 45 minutes until squash is cooked and tender. Remove the squash from the skin, and pass the squash through a tamis or strainer. Season the squash puree with vinegar, salt and pepper, and fold in the butter.

For the Gremolata, mix all ingredients and season to taste.

Serve the Braised Beef on top of the Squash "Mash." Top the Braised Beef with the Gremolata. Enjoy!