HEY!
beef moussaka
moussaka-\ moo-sah-kah \
origin-Turkey
home cooking - episode 03
brought to you by Masi Canada
This is one of my most favourite dishes to make! It's super simple and rich in flavour! The dish is paired with a bottle of Valpolicella Classico Doc from Masi Canada - a wine company rooted deeply in one of Italy's best wine regions, Valpolicella. Visit their Instagram and Facebook by clicking on the underlined words!
Ready? (you gonna want to see the last photo!)
Moussaka is a simple dish, and so is the set-up.
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For a serving of 2-3 folks, you're looking at:
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2 Italian eggplants, 250g of grounded beef, 2.5 fresh tomatoes, 1 bunch of oregano, parmesan, 0.5 of a purple onion, 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons of butter, and a good dash of cinnamon (you can't really make a good moussaka without cinnamon!) :D
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Oh and yes don't forget olive oil and pre-heat your oven to 400*F.
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I chose Masi's Bonacosta red wine for a reason to pair with this dish! It is the medium-intensity of ripe cheery that goes perfectly with a rich and flavourful dish of tomatoes, cheese, and beef.
I'm a big fan of eggplants to begin with (if you know what I mean), and so if anyone tries to convince you to use a different base for a moussaka other than eggplant, you can tell them to find something else fun to do, other than cooking.
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Since we're going to oven-roast these slices head-on, give them a good 1cm-thick cut, and be super generous with your olive oil dressing!
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They're going to be good for 11-13 mins under 400*F.
3.3 - The Red Sauce.
Get fresh tomatoes and give them a good blend!
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Some folks like to keep the tomatoes in cubes and cook them with the beef, I prefer having them blended first for a smooth consistency through-out! This is where you get to decide since there isn't a certain way to process the tomatoes!
Onions are as sensitive as humans. So when caramelizing them, don't forget to give them a good deal of attention!
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Start with a good heated pan and add in a dash of sugar for better colouring as well as to balance out the acidity that's coming from the tomatoes later.
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Your onions should be done once they're golden and transparent.
This is where your dish makes or breaks! Make sure to throw your beef in right when the onions are caramelized!
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Keep the heat medium-high since it's important not to dry-out the ground beef (they're easily dried out).
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Season them with salt and pepper. Then add a great dash of cinnamon along with some oregano leaves. Give them a good stir! Don't forget slightly over-sweeten your beef with a bit more sugar.
Pour in your fresh tomato blend once the beef is thicken and achieved a great level of brownness.
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Let the beef simmer in the sauce for 8 minutes on low heat. Don't forget to taste the mixture and adjust with seasoning!
Get your well-roasted eggplants out from the oven and lay them over the bottom of your baking dish!
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Once that's done, pour the mixture of beef & sauce onto your eggplants and proceed with a happy dance because dinner is almost ready!
I'm not that proud for this step as I actually failed at my 2nd attempt making the Béchamel sauce! But I learned a lesson, and it's that you should be a bit generous with your all-purpose flour when making the sauce.
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Make sure the butter is well-melted when adding the flour.
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Keep a constant stir on medium heat, otherwise, you'll get a weird mixture of hard round flour balls floating on top of your butter.
Done deal! Pour your silky béchamel on top of the baking dish and sprinkle the cheese over it.
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Then, let them sit in the oven under 400*F for another 6 minutes before you turn to broil for an additional 2 minutes.
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As always, add some love.
...throw them together! (don't forget to add some love)
Eggplants
Silky, juicy, and tender.
MASI's BONACOSTA
VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC
-elegant, simple, classic.
Ground Beef
cinnamon
heavenly-flavoured
Parmesan on Béchamel
Melting on your tongue.
Glass of Wine
Ready for a pour
of Masi's.