What's Cooking with Jean
Friday, January 09, 2009 Beef Stew

I've mentioned before to check out the weekly specials at your grocery store (usually in the Wednesday and Saturday papers), and this is an excellent recipe to use with beef stew meat (beef chuck) when it goes on sale. I use my dutch oven and I've cooked this both in oven and on stove. When I cooked it on the stove, I allowed it to simmer for 2 hours instead of the 2 1/2 hours in the 200 degree oven. Both were great, and I love being able to make in the afternoon and let simmer during the time leading up to dinner. I add steamed carrots and green peas and mushrooms at the end!

Preheat oven to 200°F. Place meat in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large nonreactive soup kettle; add meat to pan in two batches (if needed.) Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding an additional 1 tablespoon oil if necessary. Transfer meat to a platter.

Add onions to pot; sauté until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to sauté for about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour and cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to pan. Add chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme; bring to simmer. Add meat and return to a simmer. Cover and place in oven, and simmer until meat is just tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Stew can be cooled at this point, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Before serving, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a steamer pot. Place carrots in steamer basket and lower into pot. Steam until just tender, about 6 minutes.

Add steamed carrots and uncooked peas to fully cooked stew; cover and let stand to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings and serve.

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