
Herb Polenta with Slow-Roasted Beef and Charred Vegetables by Chef Matthew Accarrino

Ingredients
- FOR THE POLENTA
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ quart water
- ½ quart milk
- 1 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, thyme)
- ¾ tablespoons salt
- Bring water and milk to a boil in a large pot. Add in garlic and whisk in cornmeal. When the mixture thickens, turn the heat to low and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Finish the polenta with olive oil, mascarpone, herbs and salt.
- FOR THE SLOW-ROASTED BEEF
- 1-2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast or short rib, well-marbled
- FOR THE RUB
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup smoked paprika
- 1 ¼ tablespoons black pepper, ground
- 1 ¼ tablespoons salt
- ¾ teaspoons smoked chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¾ tablespoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne powder
- Mix to combine. Rub meat with mixture generously and let stand for 1 hour. Slow roast uncovered on a rack in a 200-degree oven until tender, about 3-5 hours.
- FOR THE CHARRED VEGETABLE CONDIMENT
- ½ small jalapeno
- 1 ½ garlic cloves
- ½ large white onion, peeled
- ¼ fennel bulb
- 1 plum tomato
- ½ medium carrot, peeled
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon salt, as needed
- 5 turns pepper, as needed
Instructions
1. Rough cut all vegetables to roughly the same size. Place in a bowl and toss with oil. Lay on a foil-lined tray and broil until charred and caramelized. Transfer to a blender and blend with the lime juice. If the mixture is dry, add a splash of water or tea to get it blending.
2. Serve the beef sliced over polenta topped with a spoonful of the charred vegetable condiment.