After an Evening of Shopping.....Beef Stew Hits the Spot

After a long day and evening of shopping, nothing hits the spot better than a bowl of Beef Stew!  I have always liked beef stew but I had never really searched around for a good recipe.  I made stew like I had growing up....it really wasn't that great so I rarely made it.

I had a package of beef that had been cut for stir fry so with a little more cutting, it was in small cubes that would be perfect for beef stew.  Stew meat is never quite tender enough for me so I usually cut up a sirloin or get the stir fry cut.

This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated cookbook, Cover and Bake.   I really liked being able to do a little work on the stove top and then popping it in the oven.  We were really pleased with the results.  I had to make a few adjustments to match what was in the pantry but it didn't effect the results.  I didn't have two red potatoes.  I only had a russet potato and a sweet potato so that is what I used.

Beef Stew

adapted from Cover and Bake (Best Recipes)

3 pounds chuck-eye roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes (I used about 1 1/2 pounds of stir fry strips cut into cubes.)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper (I used 1/2 tsp Trader Joe's South African SMOKE Seasoning Blend.)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped - about 2 cups
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used chicken stock.)
1 cup beef stock (The recipe didn't call for this...I added it as I wanted more liquid.)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 medium potato, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup string beans

Heat the oven to 300° F.  Place the beef cubes in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.  Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large non-reactive kettle.  Add the beef in two separate batches.  Brown the meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding remaining oil as needed.  Remove meat and set aside.

Add onions to the kettle; saute until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to saute about 30 seconds longer.  Stir in the flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to kettle.  Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme; bring to a simmer.  Add the meat; return to a simmer.  Cover and place in the oven.  Simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the kettle from the oven, add the potatoes, carrots, and green beans.  Cover and return to the oven.  Simmer until meat is just tender, about 1 hour.  Test vegetables for doneness.   Remove stew from oven.

(Can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Serve with crusty bread.

Note:  I suggest checking the amount of liquid in the pot.  You may prefer more broth in your stew.  If so, I would consider increasing the flour and liquid by one half.  ...or add some beef stock, as I did.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This was delicious the night we served it and even more so the next day.  Yummy!