Beef Stew

Beef and Guinness Stew

Published on March 14, 2010March 14, 2010 by Dawn2 Comments

Stew time is almost over, so I figured I had to get one last one in before spring hit. This stew seemed to be calling me – I had all the ingredients already in the house, so I really had no excuse – and what a better way to use up some parsnips and turnips. Guinness has such a distinct flavor – it is the only beer that I would describe as creamy – yet at the same time that deep nutty flavor takes over in your mouth. I was always told that Guinness tastes different if you have it in Ireland – and that is so true. I am not a beer drinker – but get me in a pub in Ireland, and I will drink a few of these. The first time I had a Guinness I was in high school (yes, I know…) travelling in Ireland with a string group I played with. One night after a concert we all went to a pub – and almost everyone ordered a Guinness – I couldn’t believe how delicious it was – it went down so easily, and the rich foam reminded me of drinking a milkshake. I remember my first Guinness back in the states after having one in Ireland – and it was horrible in comparison. Nothing beats a freshly poured Guinness right from the tap in Ireland. That is for sure.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I knew it would be good. Even after it had been cooking for hours, you could still taste that nutty, dark flavor coming through. The combination with the sweet parsnips was warm and comforting.

It is only fitting that my last stew of the season used a Guinness beer – it is hard to believe it was 23 years ago (almost exactly) that I tasted my first Guinness in Ireland. What a nice way to celebrate a wonderful memory.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.

Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

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Beef Daube Provencal

Published on December 30, 2009 by DawnLeave a comment

It’s stew time. That time of the year when it is cold outside, and you want to eat something comforting. I love the aroma that stew gives your home – I go to bed at night still smelling the stew that was in the oven hours earlier. I have so many different varieties of stews – and each one serves a different purpose.

I already posted my mother’s version of Beef Stew, which is a delicious one bowl meal. Beef Daube is a classic French stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbes de Provence. Like my mother’s recipe, I used white wine instead of red, which gives it a lighter sweeter flavor. This recipe that I found in Cooking Light is perfect over a bowl of egg noodles – I modified the recipe slightly to make the sauce just a little thicker but still thin enough that it can go over a starch. It would also be delicious over a bowl of mashed potatoes. Just wait, if you are not interested in this stew, there will be many more posted in the coming months…

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup white wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tablespoon of flour. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Beef Daube Provencal

Published on October 10, 2009October 15, 2009 by Dawn4 Comments

Beef Stew

This week I lost a close friend. It faithfully followed me around the country, and showed up in my mailbox every month for almost 20 years. I would flip through the pages looking at the beautiful pictures, imagining that I would make everything every month. Ok, well that never happened, but I did manage to create quite a notebook filled with my favorite Gourmet recipes over the years. When Ruth Reichtl took over as Editor for the magazine, I couldn’t have been more pleased – I read most of her books, and looked forward to reading her columns each month.

November will be the last issue for the magazine, and I am still in denial. I know that when December comes, I will be expecting the issue with the delicious cookies on the cover. I will just have to go to my notebook and find my favorites. Over the next few weeks look for recipes on my blog in honor of Gourmet – I may even pull out some of my all-time favorites.

This is my mother’s recipe for Beef Stew. This is a perfect meal for a cool fall day. This recipe is a little different from a typical Beef Stew recipe in that it is made with chicken stock and white wine, as opposed to beef stock and red wine. This gives the stew a lighter and sweeter flavor, making it perfect for the fall. As with most stews – it is even better leftover.

Ingredients

2-1/2 lbs. chuck shoulder roast, cut into 1-1/2” cubes, trimmed well
S & P TT (I use kosher salt and freshly ground peppercorns)
½ C All Purpose flour
3 T vegetable oil
2 C sweet onions, cut into 1” cubes
2 C carrots, cut into 1” lengths
12 baby red potatoes, cut in half
2 T tomato paste
2 C white wine (I use a mild wine like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc)
2 C low sodium chicken broth (I use Swanson but strong homemade broth would be better)
3 tsp fresh thyme

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325-350 degrees.

Salt and Pepper the beef. Place flour in plastic bag and add the seasoned beef. Shake bag to coat the beef. Remove beef, shaking off excess flour, and place beef on a plate.

Preheat a large, heavy dutch oven on top of stove on medium-high heat. Add oil and when shimmering, add beef. Do not crowd beef. Brown beef well on all sides and remove to a plate, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Repeat this process with the remainder of the beef, removing beef to the plate when finished. Add more oil if necessary. Be careful not to let the browned bits on the bottom of the pot burn, regulating the burner as necessary. When the all of the beef is finished browning, pour off all but 2 T oil.

Add onions and carrots to dutch oven. Salt and pepper the onions and carrots. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Remember; do not let browned bits burn on bottom of pan. Add the tomato paste to the onions and carrots and stir to coat. Add wine to dutch oven, bringing to a boil, stirring and scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the dutch oven. Reduce the wine by one half. Add the chicken stock to the dutch oven and stir. Add beef and the potatoes to the dutch oven and stir to combine. Liquid should come up to a few inches below the level of the beef and vegetables. Bring the stew to a boil.

Cover dutch oven tightly and place onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook gently for about 2 hours or until the beef is very tender. Remove beef stew to a cooling rack, correct seasonings, and add the fresh thyme, gently stirring. Let the beef stew cool, uncovered for an hour on the counter, then refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, remove the beef stew from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about ½ hour. Gently reheat beef stew in a preheated 350 degree oven until heated through, about 45 minutes. You can keep beef stew in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Some say that it is better left-over.

Serves 4

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