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Family recipe: Roasted Beef with Plums

Today I bring you our family recipe: Roasted Beef with Plums. Unbelievably soft & full of taste, simply melts in your mouth (not for raw steak lovers), with a crispy skin – NO teeth required, haha. A great clean source of protein in case you are on diet. However fantastic with a creamy mashed potatoes.

Called “Buzhenina” (Ukrainian or Russian recipe…who knows) – it’s a slow-baked fresh beef recipe that will just blow your mind. All you need is a few kilo of good meat (can be either pork or beef – whatever is your preference), lots of garlic, smoked plums, some spices & lots of time. I prefer beef it has less fat, the original recipe is pork, however. Bear in mind that meat will shrink twice in size so GO BIG! You will thank me once you taste it. I absolutely love this recipe, the soft & crispy meat great with veggies, bread, rice or a nice fresh salad. Long preparation time makes it a Special occasion meal.

Cost: £30 / Time: 30 min (preparation) + 3 h (cooking) / Serves: 6 / Total calories: 1800 / Great source of protein

Recipe-Baked-beef_1

Ready:
2kg fresh Beef – Topside or top rump roasting joint
150g smoked Plums
1 head Garlic
Parsley
Basil
3-4 Bay leaves
250ml Red wine
Salt, paprika & black pepper

OR: Use beef broth/bouillon instead of water
Extra: The wine is optional. Some like to add oil.

Steady:
Knife, chopping board, aluminium foil, baking tray, skewers, thread, oven (obviously :p)

Go:
Wash the meat. Now you have two options: 1. Remove the fat, don’t throw it away (You can use it to make a “bed” when placing marinated meat into a baking foil – otherwise the “Buzhenina” will turn out dry). This will ensure that it will be nice & tasty but you don’t have to eat those pieces of fat. 2. Dont remove the fat it will be more juicy. Peel garlic, cut half of the cloves into small pieces. Wash & cut plums. Wash parsley and bay leaves. Depends on the size & shape of the piece of meat, slice it lengthwise into nice thin & wide slices, stop 2cm before the end. Cut little star holes into each side of the meat and stuff it with pieces of garlic and plums. Add seasoning – salt, paprika & black pepper. Use a small skewer needles to secure it. Tide it up with the thick thread – the firmer the better. To prevent from falling apart & drying up while baking. See pictures…

Slice. Scoop. Fill in. Tie up.

Slice. Scoop. Fill in. Tie up.

Heat up the oven. Prepare the baking tray, place big piece of aluminium foil in it. Put cuts of the fat on the bottom, then the meat “package”. Add more spices, salt, bay leaves & parsley. Place whole cloves of garlic and the rest of the plums around. Spill a glass of water & wine all over the meat (alternatively broth/bouillon). Tightly wrap the meat in 2 or 3 layers of aluminium foil. To make it nice and tight package. Add an extra layer of foil to make sure that fluid doesnt leaked & dry out. Place in the oven. Bake at Moderately hot – 6 (Gas Mark) / 400 (Fahrenheit) / 200 (Celsius) for an hour. Taking out of the oven, unwrap carefully – you will be wrapping it back. Spill a few spoons of wine / wine / bouillon all over it. Cover it up & back to the oven. Repeat every 30min OR each hour, depends on how fluids are holding in – to insure that meat doesnt dry out. If you like all-over crust – after 3 hours unwrap the meat and leave it in the oven for another 20 min. !

Parsley. Bay leaves. Spices. Wine. Cover up. Bake,. Unwrap. Enjoy.

Parsley. Bay leaves. Spices. Wine. Cover up. Bake,. Unwrap. Enjoy.

Remove from the oven, cover loosely with a foil, and let cool for 45 minutes before carving. “Buzhenina” is served warm or even cold with sides of your choosing. Dont forget to use all the sauce with plums & garlic that became a nice thick gravy. Yumm! I serve it with a thick spinach sauce and fresh cherry tomatoes. After all those hours of waiting, seat back & enjoy incredible piece of meat.

Baked-beef_4

Spinach sauce
500g of fresh spinach leaves. Green pesto: garlic, parsley, chives, olive oil & salt. 200ml of cooking cream. Salt. Cook & stir well – blend it if you wish.

Baked-beef_5

After all those veggies, raw stuff & fast recipes – its time for the Real Meaty Recipe! Hope I inspired you & enjoy. Thank you for your time. Bon appetit! Xxx

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