This is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa that is in her cookbook Back to Basics that I found on the internet when I was looking for a make-ahead dinner for tomorrow. In the midst of preparing Thanksgiving foods, I wanted something non-poultry since we'll be eating turkey and turkey sandwiches for the next few days, as will most of America. Not that I'm complaining. I love turkey and especially leftover Thanksgiving turkey. So much so that we're hosting a potluck on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, so we can have our own Thanksgiving turkey, simply for the leftovers. It's less formal than the actual Thanksgiving sit-down dinner, but it's still lots of fun and everyone can drop in with their leftovers. Bruce's sister, Lynn, is arriving tomorrow from Chicago (weather permitting) and I wanted a nice, homemade dinner that we can have ready for us when we get home from the airport and this is it. I will reheat it and make some dumplings to go along with it and it will be a good leftover, non-turkey option, especially because the weather is suppose to get very cold here and stew is perfect for that, too. Bruce and I both agreed that this is the best beef stew we've ever had, it's that good. We can't wait to eat it again tomorrow for dinner with Lynn.
The recipe uses two large pots but since we remodeled our kitchen, we now have an induction stovetop so you have to use certain types of pans and we only have one large pot at this point until we get more cookware. So, I had to ad-lib a bit to compensate for the use of only one pot but it wasn't too hard. I just put the meat and vegetables aside on a plate instead. I do want to mention that our kitchen remodel is now completely done as of five days ago. I was going to do a "before and after" post but I've been too busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and the kitchen is messy! My sister is hosting Thanksgiving dinner and I am bringing the rolls, cranberry sauce, and the traditional Hernon Green Gelatin Salad. I also made my turkey cake for a coffee cake for breakfast while Lynn is here. And you can't have coffee cake without a pumpkin spice latte. I made the mixture so it's all ready to go. I'll try it out tomorrow morning to make sure it's good...My "before and after" post will follow shortly after Thanksgiving once the kitchen gets cleaned up after all this cooking! I also want to mention that this beef stew is very rich and filling. People will most likely not be asking for seconds because it's very satisfying. And they say it's actually better the next day so it's perfect for a make-ahead dinner like I'm doing.
Makes 6 servings
2-1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1-1/2 inch chunks
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in half
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 Tbsp. minced garlic ( 3 cloves)
2 cups or 1 (14.5 oz can) chicken stock or broth
1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
1. Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degree F.
3. Combine the flour, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 1 Tbsp. pepper.
4. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade.
5. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess.
6. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
7. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.
8. Heat another 2 Tbsp. of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes.
9. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
10. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2-1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
11. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove.
12. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F. Here it is after 2 hours of baking:
13. Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.
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