Aleks braised beef, roast beef in pomegranate juice

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 ½ kg roast beef in one piece
• 700 ml pomegranate juice, 100%
• 1 ½ liters beef broth, preferably homemade
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 300 g celery, approx. 1 bulb, peeled
• 200 g leek, approx. 1 small stalk
• 400 g onion(s), approx. 3 pieces
• 250 g carrot(s), approx. 3 pieces
• 200 g crème fraîche
• 3 tsp spice mix (khmeli-suneli, Georgian spice mix)
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp clove(s)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• 5 allspice berries
• 4 bay leaves
• 30 g clarified butter for frying
• 1 small bunch of dill
• n. B. Salt and pepper to taste
• n. B. Sugar to taste
• n. B. Flour for setting

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours

Roughly dice the celery, onions, leeks, and carrots. Quarter the garlic clove. Pat the meat dry and trim any skin and tendons with a sharp knife, leaving the top layer of fat on. Score the fat layer in a diamond shape with a knife – do not cut into the meat. Heat clarified butter in a roasting pan and sear the meat over high heat on all sides (5-6 minutes per side, starting from the fat layer). Remove the meat and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the roasting pan and fry in the remaining frying fat over high heat for at least 2 minutes, stirring frequently, to allow the garlic flavors to fully develop. Then add the remaining vegetables (carrots, celery, and leeks) and continue to roast for 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with sugar and roast for another 2-3 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly, to caramelize the sugar. Then pour around 150 ml of pomegranate juice over the roast, add salt and all the other spices (bay leaves, khmeli-suneli, pepper, etc.) and reduce over high heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens. Then add another 150 ml of pomegranate juice and reduce again, as described above. Add the remaining pomegranate juice and bring to the boil, then add the beef stock and bring back to the boil. Add the meat, fat side up, bring the entire contents to the boil again briefly, then cover tightly and place the roasting tin in the preheated oven at 140 °C fan/convection oven. Braise for at least 2.5 hours, turning after 1 hour and then again after 1 hour so that the fat is on top. (Remember that the cooking time may vary depending on the weight and thickness of the meat) When you feel that the pot roast is almost done, reduce the oven temperature to 80°C and remove the roasting pan. At this point it is important to leave the oven door open so that the temperature cools down more quickly. Remove the meat from the roasting pan and wrap it well in aluminum foil, then place it in the roasting pan lid with the fat side facing up. Leave to rest in the oven at 80°C fan/convection oven for 30 minutes. Pour the braising liquid through a sieve into a saucepan and allow to drain thoroughly. Stir in the crème fraîche and simmer the sauce in the uncovered pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then, as the sauce is quite acidic, season with salt, pepper and sugar and simmer for a further 2 minutes over medium heat. Thicken the sauce with flour to the desired consistency*. Add the finely chopped dill and remove the sauce from the heat. Remove the pot roast from the oven, cut into 1 cm thick slices, and serve immediately. Serving suggestion: Our absolute favorite: homemade Bohemian dumplings and homemade apple red cabbage. Potatoes, bread or potato dumplings, and green beans or mixed vegetables as a small side dish are also good. *Thickening with flour works like this: Fill a clean, dry screw-top jar with a little flour, then add cold water up to halfway and shake vigorously. Then gradually pour the smooth mixture into the sauce, stirring vigorously with a whisk, stirring and boiling for about 1 minute between each addition to thicken the sauce. Continue this process until you reach the desired consistency.