Beef tamales with Turnip puree and roasted red sauce (Part 1 of 4)

This is a beef shank. If you are a sheltered white-boy like me you've never seen one. They are DIRT cheap, and have beef flavor from the Gods. And you get to go to the Meximart-Carniceria to buy them!


This is like about the best thing ever. Takes a few days to make, the turnips make no sense, but put it all together and oh. Shit. Wow.


Ingredients for the Beef:

• 5-6 lbs Beef Shank. You are not making soup here, so more beef and less bone is desirable
• 5 Celery stalks, chopped finely
• 5 Carrots, chopped finely
• 2 Brown Onions, chopped finely
• 2-3 Dried Chile Guajillo
• 5-8 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Jalapenos, Stemmed, seeded, diced fine
• 4 Roma tomatoes
• 16 Tbs butter
• Bay leaves
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper

Melt 8 Tbs butter in LARGE oven proof dutch oven. Add Celery, Carrots, Onions. Cook 3-4 minutes till translucent. Add Dried chilies, Bay leaves, Tomatoes, Garlic, Jalapenos, and about 6 cups water.... Simmer.

Melt 8 Tbs. Butter in skillet over Medium... Dry off beef shank, coat in flour salt and pepper, sear to brown... A few minutes a side... Put into Dutch oven with the Veggies.

After they are all browned and in the Dutch oven... Add enough water to cover. Bring up to a simmer, and cover. After one hour, put into oven at 275º. Remove 12 hours later.

Remove bones and any large fat pieces. Let sit to cool. Remove beef 'fat' on top. Stir together and refrigerate for tomorrow... Step 2!