You won’t have to ‘stew’ over this hearty recipe. March is that time of year when the weather is still chilly. Not sure what to make? My Savory Beef Stew will be a hit with the family. There is nothing like comfort food on those cold rainy days. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS:
→ 3 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 1½-inch cubes
→ 2 teaspoons salt
→ 1 teaspoon fresh pepper
→ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
→ 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ 2 small onions cut into 1-inch pieces
→ 5 garlic cloves smashed
→ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
→ 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
→ 2 cups dry red wine
→ 2 cups beef broth
→ 2 cups water
→ 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
→ 1 bay leaf
→ 2 tablespoons chopped fennel, chopped parsley
→ 1 pound mixed mushrooms
→ 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
→ ½ teaspoon dried thyme
→ 3 sage leaves
→ 4 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
→ ¾ pound small, white Yukon potatoes cut in half
DIRECTIONS:
→ 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
→ 2. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
→ 3. When oil is hot and shimmering, brown meat in small batches, about 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Add more oil as needed. Transfer meat to a plate and set aside.
→ 4. Add onions, fennel, garlic and balsamic vinegar to pot, stir and scrape brown bits from bottom of pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Then add tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes. Add beef back to pan and sprinkle with flour. Stir until flour is dissolved. Add wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, turmeric, rosemary and sage. Stir and cover pot with lid and bake in oven for 2 hours.
→ 5. Remove pot from oven and add carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and put back in oven for another hour. Cool off and garnish with parsley. If needed, add more salt and pepper.
→ 6. Serve with a slice of thick crusty bread.
