Because snow makes you long for comfort
Few things in life are as magical as a steaming bowl of homemade beef stew. It is one of the first meals I learned to make - for good reason. You can’t mess up a stew. That makes it ideal for beginners. If you have beef and time and a cache of root veggies, all you need is a reason to eat. Add a great loaf of bread and some salted butter, and you’ll look like a seasoned professional.
Beef stew is a slow dish. One that must simmer for hours unless you employ a pressure cooker or Insta-pot. Those methods of speeding the process do the job, but if you have time, a slow simmer in the oven is preferred to develop that rich and sinful flavour.
Stewing beef is the hard-to-render bits of beef trimmed from the more delicate cuts of meat. It is inexpensive relative to the price of a whole joint or steak, but if you don’t cook it low and slow, you’ll be chewing for days.
There was a time when butchers practically gave these trimmings away, but grocers caught on to the homemaker hack of using undesirable scraps to create budget-friendly delicious meals. Now, stewing beef is a commodity. It remains less expensive than a rump roast, but it still pangs me to pay premium prices for something that used to get thrown away.
What homemade stew lacks in refinement, it more than makes up in simplicity and versatility. My grandmother used to make a version of beef stew that was just the meat and gravy. On top, she would plop mounding spoonfuls of fluffy biscuit dough that would puff up and brown while their undersides soaked up gravy. It was one of my favourite meals from her kitchen. The point is that stew is incredibly versatile. With a basic stew recipe (like the one I’ve shared below), you can alter it with any vegetables you like. Add sturdy ones like squash and mushrooms early with the celery and carrots. Reserve tender additions like green beans, spinach, and asparagus tips at the end to help preserve their integrity and colour. Add biscuits or dumplings or some cooked egg noodles if you like. Experiment with herbs and seasonings that complement beef - chilies, rosemary, mustard, sage, oregano. Choose one and run with it. See how it alters the flavour. Stew is an exceptional ground for experimentation.
Today is the first official snow day of the season. The kind where buses get canceled in the country, and people say, “Boy, it’s really coming down out there.” To which the only appropriate response is, “Yup.”
It makes you want to run for the Dutch oven to brown some comforting bits of beef. Fortunately, I happened to plan around the weather with this week’s menu. I’m kidding. I’m not that clever. I simply swapped Wednesday’s beef stew for Tuesday’s chow mein noodles.
It just felt right.
Simple Beef Stew
2 lbs of stewing beef or beef roast cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
3-4 potatoes, (2 cups) but into bite-sized chunks.
½ cup red wine vinegar or red wine
6 cups beef stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
10 sprigs of thyme
2-3 bay leaves
1 cup frozen or fresh green peas
To Thicken:
½ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
(alternatively, use ½ cup stock + ½ cup cornstarch to make a slurry to thicken. If using cornstarch to thicken that addition of a tablespoon or two of flour will create a more opaque gravy than cornstarch alone)
Preheat oven to 275F
Season beef generously with salt and pepper
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven.
Working in batches, brown the pieces of beef. Remove to a plate and add a little additional oil if needed between batches
Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute until the onions are just beginning to soften and develop some caramel colour. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add wine or red wine vinegar and cook to reduce by half, stirring and scraping the pot to deglaze.
Pour in stock and add the tomato paste. Add carrots, potatoes and thyme. Taste for seasoning. Cook in preheated oven for 3-4 hours
Place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Create a paste of flour and butter or a slurry of cornstarch and stock. Add half of your thickening agent to the stew and stir to create a smooth gravy. Add as much of the remaining thickener as needed to create the consistency you desire for your gravy
Add peas and heat to warm through.
If you have a little extra time it’s a great addition to roast the carrots, celery, and potatoes in the oven before adding them to the pot. The added roasting boosts the umptious flavour that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
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