Best Beef Stew
Inspired by / original recipe: daringgourmet.com
Here is a link to the Daring Gourmet recipe I cribbed from - Click Here -
Found this stew recipe, tried it and have been in love with it ever since. Has some great techniques when it comes to browning, deglazing, building flavours and comes out amazing, stores well, and is great reheated.
Starts off with slicing up beef (I used a cheap chuck roast) into 1” cubes, adding a generous amount of salt and pepper, and dusting with flour.
Add oil to a large pot and space out the pieces of steak so they are not touching and can brown appropriately and create a fond on the pot. You will likely need to do this in batches, or cook with more steak so you need to do it in batches :)
After browning leave the steak on the side, add the butter, and now its time for the onions! Cook on medium-high heat until translucent, add the garlic for a short bit, and then it is time to deglaze.
Adding red wine assist two fold in using the acidity from the wine to help break down the stuck on bits from the pan and add complex flavours to the stew or other dish when used. Secondarily wine adds a layering effect of flavour giving what many describe as deep, complex, hardy. Make sure after adding the acid to scrape all the good bits.
Make sure to cook it down for a few minutes so that all of the alcohol burns off; if not done it can add a bad flavour to the dish.
After the alcohol is boiled off add the beef back in, add broth (boxed or home made), tomato paste, and seasoning. Simmer for 90 minutes. After that it is time to add in these delicious bits -
Potatoes naturally thicken as well are delicious, and the carrots and celery add body and flavour. Simmer for one more hour and you are good to go! Make sure to taste and season effectively as an under seasoned stew is a sin.
Has turned out great every time, even when some of the details weren’t executed perfectly. The inexpensive meat is tenderized into a delicious decadent protein, the stew is rich and flavourful, and it is as great as week day leftovers as it is on a cold winter night.
