The cold weather has had me craving something warm and rich. Jack, of course, always wants beef, so I decided that this delicious, tender, rich stew was what I had to make. Sorry vegan friends, sometimes I’ve got to go with it. I’ve put this into “Live to Eat,” rather than “Eat to Live,” since it is a bit time-consuming. However, it is not difficult at all, so please try it! If you can buy the stew beef already cut into a dice, that makes it super easy. Below the recipe, I have step-by-step photos to help guide you.
I would like to add a note about what makes a cut of meat good for stewing or braising, rather than the tender cuts for sauteing or grilling. For stewing (smaller, diced cuts) or braising (larger whole cuts) the best cuts of beef are those that are working muscles, usually chuck, sirloin or round. Too tough to just sear and eat, they benefit from a long, slow cooking time during which they become fork-tender. Braising and stewing are both combination cooking methods, meaning start with a dry cooking method – searing the beef cubes in a small amount of oil in a hot pan – and then add liquids in which to simmer the meat and vegetables until they are super tender. For this recipe, I deglaze the fond (the tasty brown bits of deliciousness on the bottom of the pan after searing the beef) with red wine and then canned tomatoes and a store-bought organic, fat-free, low-sodium beef stock. If I am not using homemade stocks, I always try to choose these filters for what I buy in order to give me, as the chef, the opportunity to season recipes without a lot of sodium already built in.
Hearty Beef Stew
Equipment
- 1 cutting board (secured)
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 Bowl (for dredging)
- 1 rondeau
- 1 Half Sheet Pan
- 1 tongs
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 ladle (for depouillage)
- 1 Set Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 tsp. dry oregano
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. ground black pepper
- 3 pounds beef stew meat trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup olive or avocado oil not all at once, but to keep pan covered while searing the beef and for the veggies
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 6 cups beef stock (low sodium)
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes 28 oz
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion cut into 1/4" dice – about 1=1/2 cups diced
- 3 carrots cut into ¼ “ rondelles, about 1 cup
- 3 ribs of celery cut into ¼ “ dice – about 1-1/2 cups diced
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 24 oz baby yukon gold potatoes cut in quarters
- ½ cup Italian parsley chiffonade or finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Stir together the flour, dry oregano, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Turn the cubes of beef in the flour to coat well, shake off excess and transfer to a sheet pan. (I wear gloves so my hands do not get so messy).
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or rondeau, large enough to cook the stew.
- Add the beef cubes a few at a time to brown on all sides, then remove – reserve on sheet pan.
- When all the meat is browned, sauté the mirepoix in the fond. You may need to add a little more avocado oil.
- Add the garlic – sauté 3 minutes.
- Add the red wine to deglaze, using wooden spoon to remove the fond from the bottom of the pan and reduce the wine by half.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them with your wooden spoon.
- Add the beef stock, bay leaf, chopped fresh thyme, spices, and the cooked beef back to the pan.
- Simmer 40 minutes.
- Use the ladle to depouillage, which means to skim any fat and impurities that have collected on the top and remove them from the surface.
- Add the cut potatoes. Simmer 30 minutes more (until they are fully tender).
- If not serving immediately, remove from heat and cool now.
- If you are serving now, add the parsley and peas and cook for 5 minutes.
- Adjust seasonings to taste – serve right away.
- Serve with brown rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Complete the meal with a salad or green vegetable and some crusty bread.
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