Something to Stew About

Fall has arrived here in the upper midwest.  We’ve had an particularly beautiful season this year. The maple trees are absolutely gorgeous and we’ve been blessed with sunny, warm days to enjoy the colors.

These cool days and brisk nights signal a new season in the kitchen too.  Burgers and salads take a back burner to slow cooking soups and stews.  This Braised Beef Stew is the perfect welcome to fall.

This is a great recipe for a chilly Sunday afternoon. Your house will smell fantastic as the rich flavors of the beef, wine and vegetables come together.  The stew gets even better with a night in the fridge, resulting in a quick, delicious weeknight meal.  Just grab your favorite loaf of bread (gluten free for me!) and a quick salad, and everyone’s happy.

I hope you enjoy this stew, and I look forward to sharing more slow, easy delicious recipes with you in the coming weeks.

Braised Beef Stew

This rich, meaty stew is perfect as the weather cools. It tastes even better the second day, so it's a great dish to make on Sunday and enjoy later in the week.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs or beef stew meat
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bulb fennel
• 1 large Onion
• 4 large carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
• Cut the boneless beef short ribs (or stew meat) into about 1 inch chunks and sprinkle with the 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. If you can find short ribs, they lend an extra richness to this dish, but stew meat works beautifully too
  
• Cut the fennel bulb into a dice - I usually cut it into slices first and then into a medium dice.
  
• Peel and cut the onion and carrots into a medium dice
  
• Chop the garlic into a small dice
  
• Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine and set aside
  
• Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot to medium hot
  
• Add the beef pieces in a single layer to the pot
  
• Sear the beef until it is brown on all sides. It does not need to be cooked through
  
• Remove the beef from the pot and set aside
  
• Drizzle the other tbsp of olive oil to the pot and add the onions, carrots and fennel. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften about 15 minutes
  
• Add the chopped garlic (and if you are using dried rosemary & thyme) and cook for 30 seconds
  
• Add the tomato paste to the pot and mix well
  
• Add the 2 cups of wine and stir to combine. Use tongs or a wooden spoon to scrape up the browed bits of meat. (the fancy name for this is deglazing the pan - mostly is just means extra flavor!)
  
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the wine has reduced by half - about 10 minutes
  
• Add the 2 cups of chicken stock, the rosemary/thyme bundle (if using) and the beef with any juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours
  
• Take the pot out of the oven. Remove the rosemary/thyme bundle and take the beef pieces out with a slotted spoon. (your kitchen will smell amazing, by the way)
  
• Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and boil until the sauce has reduced by about half and thickened.
  
• Add the beef back to the pot, taste and adjust the seasonings
  
• Serve with your favorite bread (gluten free for me!). This stew tastes even better the second or third day. I usually make this on a Sunday and save it for a fabulous, quick weeknight meal.