Wine-Sherry-Braised Flat Iron With Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients

• Flat Iron
• 4 pounds flat-iron steak or chuck roast
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup Pedro Ximénez sherry
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
• 3½ to 4 cups veal stock or beef broth
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces on a bias
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Cauliflower
• 1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
• ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the steak on a cutting board, slice crosswise (against the grain) into 1-inch-wide strips and season generously with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed roasting pan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until nearly smoking, about 2 minutes. Add the steak strips and, working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, brown the steak on all sides, about 15 minutes per batch. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the sherry and red wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves and garlic, then pour in enough veal stock or beef broth to almost cover the meat. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven until the meat is tender, 1½ to 2 hours.
3. While the meat braises, make the cauliflower purée: In a medium saucepan, place the cauliflower, ½ cup cream, butter and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the cauliflower is very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover and cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a blender and processing until completely smooth (add more cream to thin the purée if necessary). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Cover to keep warm.
4. Remove the roasting pan from the oven; remove and discard the aluminum foil and use a ladle to transfer 2 cups of the braising liquid to a small saucepan. Set the roasting pan aside and bring the braising liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5. Add the carrots to the braising liquid, return to a boil and cook until the carrots are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the carrots and braising liquid to the roasting pan. Divide the cauliflower purée among four plates, placing it to one side of each plate. On the other side of the plate, place some of the braised meat, carrots and sauce. Sprinkle parsley over the braised meat and serve.