Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Snowy day in Madison.

It was definitely a Beef Stew kind of day.
The Cheddar Cheese Scones were the perfect addition.

I had a recipe that I cut out from a magazine years ago (do people still do that?), but I could not put my hands on it. So I googled Old Fashioned Beef Stew and this recipe from the New York Times popped up. This was just delicious. Rave reviews from the other side of the table. 

Ingredients-

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into inch cubes

5 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

3 ½ cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoons salt

Method-

Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. 

Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. 

Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. 

Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches.

Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. 

Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. 

Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

Cover and cook, skimming the broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. 

Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Ina Garten's Unforgettable Beef Stew and Air Fryer Eggplant Fries

Yesterday I picked up stew beef. I was going to try a different recipe, but why stray from a recipe that always works.

Ingredients-
1 pound good-quality beef chuck, cubed into ~ 1 ½" sized pieces
1 1/2 cups of good red wine
2 bay leaves 
1 cup flour  
kosher salt 
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil 
1 yellow onion, chopped 
2 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 ½" chunks
1/2 lb small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp chopped dried rosemary
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Method-

The night before, or a couple of hours before you start...

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine and bay leaves.

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Brown the Beef

The next day, preheat the oven to 300° F.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour,  1/2 tbsp salt, and pepper, and combine.

Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon, discard the bay leaves, saving the marinade.

In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mix before shaking off the excess.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. See the notes above.

Place the seared beef in a bowl and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) 

Remove the beef and place it in a bowl.

Prep the Veggies

In the Dutch oven, heat another glug of oil before adding the onions, carrots, and potatoes.

Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the vegetables to the bowl with the beef.

Finish the Soup

Add the reserved marinade to the empty Dutch oven and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon 

Add the stock, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. 

Add the meat and vegetables, including all the juices to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. 

Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, or until all of the meat and vegetables are tender, stirring once during cooking.

If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275° F.


And those Eggplant Fries. We went out to dinner with my sister and Ralph last night and of course she gave me eggplant. At dinner, Ralph said to make Air Fryer Eggplant Fries

I found this recipe on Return To The Kitchen
Ingredients1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp pepper3 eggs3 tbsp water1 eggplant1/4 cup all-purpose flourcooking spray
InstructionsPrepare your breading station. In one bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir well. In a second bowl, combine eggs and water and whisk well.Peel eggplant (if desired) and then slice into "fries". Try to keep size uniform so they cook evenly.Before beginning breading, preheat your air fryer. Set it to 375 degrees for 10 minutes.Place all eggplant fries in a large bowl and add flour. Toss to coat.Then, dip the eggplant into egg then breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all fries are breaded.Depending on the size of your air fryer these may need to be done in 2-3 batches. After the air fryer is preheated place a single layer of eggplant fries in the air fryer. Spray with cooking spray over the fries to help them get more crispy.Cook at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or until golden brown.Remove from the air fryer and sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese if desired.Serve with pasta sauce for dipping or enjoy plain.

Ina's Beef Stew

This was really really good. Forgot to add the peas at the end. Chris was not bothered by this at all.

Perfect for a lazy Sunday around the house.

INA GARTEN'S UNFORGETTABLE BEEF STEW

• 
  
• Ingredients-
• 3/4 pounds good quality beef chuck, cubed into ~ 1 ½" sized pieces
• 1/2 bottle of good red wine
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 cups flour 
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 ½" chunks
• 1/2 lb potatoes cut into chunks
• 1 cup beef stock or broth
• 1 branch fresh rosemary (if you have cheesecloth wrap some around the Rosemary)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Method-

Marinate the Beef
Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, and bay leaves.
Marinate overnight in the refrigerator
Brown the Beef
The next day, preheat the oven to 300° F
In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, 1 Tbsp salt, and pepper, and combine
Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon, discard the bay leaves saving the marinade.
In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mix before shaking off the excess.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
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

Prep the Veggies
In the same large pot, heat another glug of oil before adding the onions, carrots, and potatoes.
Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally

Finish the Soup
Place all the vegetables into the Dutch oven over the beef.
Add 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
Add the stock, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, ½ 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.
Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, or until all of 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° F.

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An Unforgettable Beef Stew

This is the second time this year I have made this stew. The recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten's Unforgettable Beef Stew which I found on the Veggies By Candlelight blog. I also adapted that recipe to fit our tastes and to what I had in the house for ingredients.

In the blog post on Veggies by Candlelight, there are rules that the writer received from the person who gave her the recipe. They are really good and they should be followed.
Again from Veggies by Candlelight-

• You must sear the meat, not simply brown the sides. This will have to be done in batches because the beef cubes need to sizzle in a hot pan for a good five minutes before nudging them. Only when the bottoms have a dark crust and come away easily from the pan can you move on to the other sides.

• Whatever you do, please don't scrimp on the time. Stew meat takes a good long stretch of cooking before it becomes tender. Cook it low and slow for at least two hours

• Use chicken stock instead of beef. That is unless you make your own beef stock.

• For seasonings Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and good red wine.  Substituting a good dark beer for the wine is usually a great choice.  Keep the seasonings fairly simple.  If you've seared the meat well and cooked it long enough, a good stew can really stand on its own without much else.

Ingredients-
1 pound good-quality beef chuck, cubed into ~ 1 ½" sized pieces
1 1/2 cups of good red wine
2 bay leaves 
1 cup flour  
kosher salt 
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil 
1 yellow onion, chopped 
2 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 ½" chunks
1/2 lb small potatoes halved or quartered
1 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp chopped dried rosemary
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
5 oz package frozen peas

Method-

The night before, or a couple of hours before you start...

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine and bay leaves.

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Brown the Beef

The next day, preheat the oven to 300° F.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour,  1/2 tbsp salt, and pepper, and combine.

Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon, discard the bay leaves, saving the marinade.

In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mix before shaking off the excess.

Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. See the notes above.

Place the seared beef in a bowl and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) 

Remove the beef and place in a bowl.

Prep the Veggies

In the Dutch oven, heat another glug of oil before adding the onions, carrots, and potatoes.

Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the vegetables to the bowl with the beef.

Finish the Soup

Add the reserved marinade to the empty Dutch oven and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon 

Add the stock, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. 

Add the meat and vegetables, including all the juices to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. 

Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, or until all of 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° F. 

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.

The Best Beef Stew

Slow cooker Saturday. This recipe is from the little cookbook that came with the slow cooker. I added carrots, for color.
This stew is delicious and hearty. It is the ultimate comfort food.

Ingredients-
2# beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup four
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1bay leaves
3 small potatoes, quartered
1onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced

Method-
Sprinkle flour, salt, and pepper over meat. Place meat in Crock-Pot slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is tender. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

It is Sunday and I had so much to do. I needed something for dinner that was made in the slow cooker. This is one of our favorite stew recipes. I think it from Epicurious or Bon Appetit. This recipe makes enough for at least 3 meals, that is if you only have 2 people to cook for.

Ingredients-
2 1/2 lbs chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and diced into 1-1/2 inch cubes
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth, divided
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried1 (7-inch) single sprig rosemary (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1 1/2 lbs yellow potatoes, diced into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (don't use thin carrots)
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (depending on how thick you like it)
1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Method-
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Working with half of the beef at a time, dab both sides dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sear in skillet until browned, turning once halfway through, about 4 - 5 minutes total. Transfer beef to slow cooker. Add an additional 1 Tbsp oil to skillet, repeat with remaining beef. Leave excess oil in skillet.

Add remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil to oil in skillet (there should be about 1/2 tbsp left after searing beef), reduce burner to medium. Saute onions and celery 3 minutes, then add in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Pour 1 cup beef broth into skillet along with Worcestershire, soy sauce,  thyme and rosemary. Add potatoes and carrots over beef layer in slow cooker, then pour broth mixture in skillet into slow cooker along with remaining 2 cups beef broth. Season lightly with salt and pepper (add more to taste at the end). Cover and cook on low heat for 7 - 8 hours.

In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch with 1  1/2 Tbsp cold water until smooth. Pour into slow cooker and gently stir, cover and cook on high heat for 20 - 30 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir in peas and half of the parsley. Serve warm garnished with remaining parsley.

The Best Beef Stew and Amazing Buttermilk Biscuits

Yeah a vacation day! And what is up with the weather? Snow? Sleet? Our daffodils might not survive this. Today's weather was perfect for Beef Stew. I found the recipe The Best Beef Stew From Scratch on The Kitchen web site. It really was the best beef stew I have made in a while. I made one in the crock pot not too long ago but this was so much better. I think using chicken broth instead of beef broth made the difference.

From The Kitchen The Best Beef Stew recipe -

Ingredients-
3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
1-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire, divided
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine or amber beer, plus extra to finish
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock
3 carrots, diced
1 ½ pounds red bliss potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper 

Method-
Cube the beef. Trim off any large pieces of fat from the outside of the roast, then cut it into small bite-sized cubes. This is most easily done if you cut the roast into slices, each slice into strips, and then the strips into cubes. Use a sharp knife and don't forget to keep your fingers out of the way and your thumb tucked in as you're slicing through the meat.

Warm the pot and begin searing the meat. Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and film the bottom with oil. When hot enough that a drop of water sizzles off the surface, work in batches to sear the beef. Add a single layer of beef cubes to the pan, being careful not to crowd the cubes too closely, and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper.

Continue searing all the meat. Let the cubes of beef cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, until the undersides develop a dark brown crust and come away easily from the pan. Toss and continue searing on all sides, another 4-5 minutes. Transfer the seared meat to a clean bowl and continue searing the remaining meat in batches. Add another teaspoon or two of oil between batches if the pan looks dry.

Watch for the "fond," a.k.a. sticky dark glaze, to form: A sticky dark glaze will start to form on the bottom of the pan. This is technically called "the fond," and it is a major source of deep, caramelized flavor in your stew. We'll get back to it in a few more steps. However, if at any time you think the crust smells smoky or is starting to burn, dissolve it with a few tablespoons of water and pour over the seared beef.

Cook the vegetables. Once all the meat has been seared and transferred out of the pan, cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and warm another teaspoon of oil. Add the onions and celery, and cook until the onions are softened and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and one tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce to coat.

Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir until there is no more visible flour and the veggies look slightly mushy from the flour coating.

Deglaze the pan with the wine. Raise the heat back up to medium-high and pour in the wine. The wine should immediately start bubbling and steaming. Scrape the sticky fond from the bottom of the pan; the wine will help it to dissolve. Continue scraping and stirring until the wine has reduced and thicken slightly.

Return the meat to the pan and add the broth. Return the seared meat to the pan and add the whole thyme sprigs, the bay leaf, and the broth. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Bring the broth to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Make sure the stew stays at a very low simmer.

Add the potatoes and carrots. Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew. Cover the pot again and continue cooking for another 45-60 minutes. When done, the meat should be tender enough to flake apart with a fork and the potatoes cooked through. If not, re-cover and cook in additional 15 minute increments until cooked.

Add the peas and remaining seasonings. Stir the frozen peas into the stew. Add the remaining tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of red wine. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Taste and add extra salt, pepper, or other seasonings as you see fit. The stew can be served right away, refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months.

I have never made Buttermilk Biscuits. I saw the photo of this biscuit in Bon Appetit and I had to try this recipe. Oh. My. God. They were soooo good! Flaky and the flavors were spot on. But they should be perfect because I cut the recipe in half and it used a stick of butter! 6 biscuits, 1 stick of butter. How could they not be good!

From Bon Appetit, BA’s Best Buttermilk Biscuits - 

Ingredients-
Servings: Makes 12
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more, melted, for brushing
1 cup chilled buttermilk





Method-
Preheat oven to 425°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 3½ cups flour in a food processor to combine. Add chilled butter and pulse until largest pieces of butter are the size of a pea. Transfer to a large bowl and gradually drizzle buttermilk over top, tossing with a fork as you go to incorporate. Knead mixture a few times in bowl until a shaggy dough forms (mixture will look a little dry), then turn out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1"-thick square.


Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, sandwiching any loose dry bits of dough between layers, and press down to flatten. Lift up dough with bench scraper and dust surface with flour. Roll dough into a 1"-thick rectangle and trim a thin border around sides of dough to create clean edges. Cut into a 4x3" grid to make 12 biscuits (don’t reroll scraps). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart; freeze 10 minutes. On the BA site in the comment section there was some discussion about the sizes mentioned here. I cut the recipe in half so it did not pertain to me, but you might want to check it out.)


(I did not do this next step. I felt that the biscuits really didn’t need added butter.) Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake biscuits until deep golden brown on bottom and golden on top, 20–25 minutes.


Do Ahead: Biscuits (unbaked) can be made 1 month ahead. Freeze, uncovered, on baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Do not thaw before baking, but add a few minutes to baking time.

 

Best Beef Stew Ever

 "Best Beef Stew Ever."

That is a direct quote from Chris. The recipe was in the little booklet that came with the Crock Pot. A simple recipe that resulted in the "Best Beef Stew Ever."

Tonight was the Super Bowl. Neither of our teams was in it this year but we still watched. Well, I watched until Downton Abbey came on. To start off, or pre-game, I made a hummus from Cannellini Beans, Kalamata Olives, and Capers. Winner! The recipe comes from Jeanette's Healthy Living site.

Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups cooked Cannellini Beans, or 1 can Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained well
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

Method-
Place beans, olives, capers, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process until almost smooth.
Gradually pour olive oil through the feed tube.
Add lemon juice.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now about that stew. So easy!

Ingredients-
2-4 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup four
Kosher salt and pepper
3 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
6 small potatoes, quartered
2-3 onions, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced

Method-
Sprinkle flour, salt, and pepper over meat. Place meat in Crock-Pot slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 5-6 hours, or until the meat is tender. Stir thoroughly before serving. 

The only thing I would change about the recipe is to add carrots. It could have used a little color. 

And I had to make something to go with the stew. I was at the grocery store waiting in the Deli line, one of the circles of hell and was reading an email from Food52. It was a recipe for Slap Grilled Cheese. A focaccia bread sliced in half and filled with cheese and then reheated to melt the cheese. That's what I went with. I made the Jim Lahey Focaccia recipe, starting it last night. Nice. The bread was, of course, delicious and the for the cheese inside I used Sharp Cheddar and Gouda. Yeah, this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients-
Foccaccia
Cheddar or comparable cheese grated

Method-
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice the focaccia so that you have two equal slabs.
Sprinkle your preferred grated cheese for as little or as much coverage as you'd like between the slices of focaccia.
Weigh the whole thing down with a heavy-bottomed pan—that's right, put a pan right on top of the focaccia—and bake at 375°F for about 8 minutes.
Slice as small as you'd like to serve. 

Italian Beef Stew

I love this time of year. It is comfort food time. A big pot of beef stew. Some bread. A glass of wine. Yes that is comfort. This was a new stew recipe that I tried from Cooking Light. Instead of the mushrooms I added red peppers. Nice flavors and the meat was so tender.

My version of Italian Beef Stew, from CookingLight.com

Ingredients
7 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 3/4 cups chopped seeded peeled plum tomato (about 2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
I sliced red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
 
Method
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.
Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomato and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and stir in sliced pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil, and parsley.