Braised Beef Strips with Wild Rice Recipe

Aurora Catering's

Braised Beef Strips with Wild Rice

Yield - 20 to 24 Buffet dinner servings

Ingredients
7 LBS SIRLOIN STEAK (Cut 1 -1/2 inches thick) *
2 CUPS CUSTOM CATERING'S BEEF MARINADE (See Recipe)
36 OZ BOX UNCLE BEN'S WILD RICE
2 LARGE ONIONS (Cut into wedges)
3 LARGE BELL PEPPERS (Cut into 3/8 inch straps)
2 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/2 BUNCH SHALLOTS (Chopped)

Method

Remove the silver skin from around the beef's muscles but leave attached any of the natural fat (up to about 1/4 inch thick). Slice the beef diagonally into 1/8 inch thick strips about 3 inch lengths. The steaks are usually pre-cut across the grain, therefore cut the strips on a 45 degree angle cut. Marinade the beef in a stainless steel bowl with Aurora Catering's Beef Marinade (See Recipe) for 4 -6 hours. Use tongs and turn the beef once each hour. (The strips create a large surface area and all pieces need to be marinated evenly.)

Preheat oven as per the wild rice box instructions. Drain the marinade from the beef, measure and deduct this amount from the water requirements for the wild rice. Heat the marinade and make-up water for the wild rice. (Since the marinade has oil in it, it is not necessary to add the margarine required in the wild rice recipe.) Then add the mixture to a 2 inch hotel pan, cover with foil and bake as required. One box of wild rice blend will fill a 2 inch pan half way, and thus leave enough room for the beef strips and vegetables.

Over very high heat **, preheat a 14 inch cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes. (Very hot but not as white hot that is required for blackening.) Add half of the onions and bell pepper, sear the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of oil. Turn the vegetables constantly, it is the intent to char the vegetables on many sides but generally leave them somewhat crisp. Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes, when done remove and place the onions and bell peppers on top of the cooked wild rice. Sear the remaining vegetables as instructed above and add to the rice. Cover and retain warm.

Divide the meat into two portions then sear the strips as the vegetables were cooked. Be careful not to overcook the meat, all sides should be lightly browned but not cooked through and through. ***

Plate Presentation

Fluff the rice and vegetables, place the meat on top, garnish with shallots and serve in a chafer set-up.

Chef's Notes:

* The sirloin cut is sometimes called the top of the butt and is many times cooked whole as a roast, have your butcher cut the roast against the grain into 1 -1/2 inch thick boneless steaks.

** The searing of the vegetables and meat should be done over a very hot burner and with excellent ventilation. This dish will produce clouds of smoke and may even flare with fire. It is highly recommended that you cook this dish outside on a patio or under a very efficient fume hood.

*** It is important not to over cook the beef strips, sirloin will toughen when cooked to a well doneness.

Some people may want to marinade the onions and bell peppers together, try this they will add flavor to the beef and to the vegetables. However I do suggest that the vegetables be seared separately from the beef, they require a little less time than the beef.

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