Beef Stew
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Winter is here, and that means one thing! It's time to get stewing. This beef stew is the perfect comfort food for these cold, dark, Michigan winters!
When making a stew, there are several different types of meat you could use. Like many home cooks, I prefer to use chuck because it is consistent in cooking time and texture, which results in a tender and juicy stew! I try to avoid the prepackaged stew meat unless I'm purchasing it directly from our local meat market (shout out to Richland Meat Center). I think it’s fair to be a little cautious of a product that is just labeled stew meat but does not specify what part of the animal the meat is from. I’m sure it’s mostly chuck roast but have to believe that there is also a mixture of bits and pieces left-over from cutting up larger cuts of meat.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, whenever possible, my preference is always to purchase a larger cut of meat and do the butchering myself. This might be more time-consuming than opening the prepackaged stew meat; however, this approach will allow you to slice it up into even-sized chunks for a more uniform stew. Also, this is more cost-effective and ensures that I know exactly what I’m serving.
Whether you decide to butcher your meat or buy prepackaged, make sure the first thing you do, is dry and flavor the meat. The meat will not sear properly if wet. Just pat the meat down with paper towels to remove any extra moisture. Once dry, sprinkle the seasoned flour onto the cubes. I like to mix the seasonings into the flour to ensure that the seasoning is well distributed. Flour is full of starch which helps caramelize the meat quickly and give it that deep brown color. The flour will also help thicken the sauce as you stew the rest of the ingredients together.
I borrowed some techniques from Julia Child’s classic recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon when developing this stew recipe. Her famous dish is the stewed meat and gravy with vegetables served as a side dish. I like having it all in one pot but did borrow her classic method of stewing the meat in the oven for several hours to get a thick gravy-like consistency and perfectly tender beef.
About halfway through the stewing time, I add in the vegetables and let them cook in with the meat and gravy. If you add them too soon, you lose the texture of the vegetable. You could use some or all of the ones I’ve selected, or substitute your favorites. Parsnips, fennel, squash, even a handful of kale or spinach at the end would be lovely and add some extra color.
When I can find pearl onions, I love to use them, but any white or yellow onion would work too! I have also made this recipe with potato gnocchi instead of the traditional russet potato.
Making stew is also an excuse to break out some full-bodied red wines which are my favorite. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon blend in this recipe. We finished that bottle while the beef was stewing. Then served a bottle of Red Bordeaux for dinner, along with a crusty baguette. Use your favorite red!
Every home cook should have a good beef stew recipe, it is one of the homiest, heartiest cold-weather dishes out there! I hope you consider this Beef Stew recipe for dinner, even if it’s not cold where you are tonight!
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Go have some fun in your kitchen!
