Beef Stew

I guess the time interval between my posts is a pretty good indicator of how much free time I have... I'm finally getting to this beef stew post that I promised two three four days ago. Well, hopefully it's worth the wait, it certainly disappeared fast in my house!

Let's start with the beef. Most grocery stores offer precut chunks of 'stew' beef that will save you prep time, but sometimes I have noticed that these chunks are pretty scrappy - lots of gristle and fat rind. I know it's supposed to be a cheaper cut and stewing it is supposed to make it tender, but I really like to start with meatier chunks. What I did for this stew was purchase a big Chateaubriand steak, which was actually cheaper per pound than the stew beef the store was offering as well as much 'cleaner' and meatier, and cut it into chunks myself. I got more meat for my money, and I really like the Chateaubriand - works great for stir fry or kebabs too, so I end up purchasing this cut frequently when I'm not quite sure what I feel like making for dinner because it is so versatile.

Whatever cut you choose to purchase, spread out the chunks on a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle the beef with lots of fresh ground pepper, a bit of sea salt, some thyme and oregano, and all-purpose flour. Roll the meat around to coat with spices and flour before browning.

And prep whatever veggies you like in your stew. I went with parsnips, carrots, and potatoes for my roots this time, as well as crimini mushrooms, pearl onions, and garlic. I use a bag of frozen pearl onions because I just don't have the time to peel that many onions, and these work just as well. You also want to fill a measuring cup or two with 4-6 cups of hot water to have ready.

Start by heating a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, 1/3 of your minced garlic, and 1/3 of your beef that has been tossed with the flour and spices. Cook just until meat is browned and remove to a large bowl. Immediately add a cup or two of your hot water to deglaze (this just means you stir all the browned bits into the water, turning it into a lovely broth) then pour the liquid out into the bowl holding the browned meat. Repeat this process two more times with another 1/3 of the garlic and beef and another deglazing each time.

Drizzle a little more olive oil in and add your onions and mushrooms. Stir to pick up any remaining browned bits in the pan as they begin to soften. Add the rest of your veggies and the meat and broth and stir to combine. For a little extra flavor kick, pour in a bottle of good dark beer or an equivalent amount of red wine. Cover and bring to a boil while you preheat your oven to 350*. Stir to make sure nothing is sticking to bottom, replace the cover and put in the oven for two hours.

At the end of the two hours, your flavors will have melded and your broth will have reduced and thickened. You could just simmer this on the stove until it has cooked through, but the flavors will be better if you let the oven work its magic. Trust me, try it and see.

Stir and ladle into bowls. I recommend filling your bowls a few minutes before you are ready to eat because this stew is 'boiling in the bowl' - you can even see the steam in the photo!

I highly recommend serving stew with some kind of bread to sop up the juice. It goes especially well with biscuits.

Beef Stew

2-3 lbs beef, cut into big bite-size chunks
fresh ground black pepper, sea salt, thyme, oregano to taste
all-purpose flour to coat
4-6 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes
3-4 carrots, thickly sliced
3-4 parsnips, thickly sliced *can also use any other favorite root veggies
8-12 crimini mushrooms, cut into sixths
8-12 oz bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 cups hot water
12 oz dark beer or red wine
olive oil for sauteing

Heat a drizzle of olive oil and 1/3 of minced garlic in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of beef and cook just until browned, remove to large bowl. Deglaze with 1-2 cups of the hot water, pour off into bowl with browned meat. Repeat twice more.
With another drizzle of olive oil, saute onions and mushrooms, stirring to pick up any brown bits left in the pan. Add veggies, browned meat with broth, and beer or wine. Stir to incorporate.
Cover and bring to boil while preheating oven to 350*.
Stir, replace cover, transfer to oven for two hours.
Stir and serve.

Enjoy!                                            

Sue