Beef Stew Recipe

[DCLonghorn]

Its getting a little chilly up here in the North East and I need a really good beef stew recipe? I made chili last weekend for the game and this time I want to make beef stew to put on Mashed Potatoes.

Also, if someone would include a Mexican cornbread recipe, that would be awesome too?

 

[DallasCowpoke]

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 1/2 pounds lean beef stew beef, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
* 4 to 5 medium carrots, sliced
* 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
* 2 medium turnips or 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into cubes
* 4 small onions, peeled and quartered
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon celery seeds
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups V-8 juice (12 ounces)
* 1 cup beef broth
* 1/4 cup dry red wine
* 1 tablespoon spicy or Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 275°. In a large mixing bowl combine the beef with all the vegetables. Season with the garlic, celery seeds, thyme, salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the V-8 juice, beef broth, wine, mustard, brown sugar, and tapioca, stirring until blended and tapioca and brown sugar are dissolved. Add this mixture to the meat and vegetables; stir well to blend. Transfer the stew to an oven-safe Dutch oven or large casserole. Cover and cook 5 hours without disturbing.
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From Tyler Florence via FoodTv.com. I did this last fall, and it was well worth the effort.


2 to 3 pounds beef shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 fresh thyme sprigs, plus 4 sprigs
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 cups blanched and peeled red pearl onions
1 orange, peel cut in large strips
Cloves, a few
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
3 tablespoons butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bouquet Garni
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 pound baby carrots
1/2 pound garden peas
1 pound white mushrooms, cut in half
Pinch sugar
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, as garnish
Chives, finely chopped, as garnish
Garlic puree, recipe follows
Croutons, recipe follows

Serving suggestion: buttery mashed potatoes with chives and warm croutons with garlic puree

To make the marinade, place the beef in a large glass or plastic container. Add 8 sprigs of thyme, carrots, garlic, red onions, orange peel, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and the wine. Mix well to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Remove beef from the marinade and blot dry on paper towels. Heat the oil and butter and the remaining 4 sprigs thyme in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, remove the thyme. Add the beef and brown evenly on all sides. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Strain the marinade into the beef and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the flavorful bits in the bottom of the pot. Add bouquet garni and beef stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid starts to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.

After about 2 hours add the baby carrots, garden peas, and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with chopped parsley and chives. Squeeze some of the roasted garlic onto the croutons, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with the stew.

Garlic puree:
2 heads garlic, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprig thyme
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a sprig of thyme and fold the foil around the garlic. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until garlic is tender and golden brown.

Croutons:
Olive oil, for frying
6 slices bread

Heat about 1/4-inch of the olive oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the bread in batches and fry until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and dry on paper towels.

 

[Panda Lobotomy]

I can vouch for that Tyler stew recipe above. My parents made that the last time I went up to see them. If you can get some corn, slice that up and toss it in the pot, too. I'm not normally a huge corn guy, but after stewing with all of the meat, veggies, and spices it turned out to be the best I've ever had. Yum yum.

 

[DCLonghorn]

Thank you very much. Is the top one Tyler Florence's recipe or the whole thing?

 

[DallasCowpoke]

it's the one from the ===== down.

DON'T be afraid to experiment, combining parts from 2 or more recipe's, is a GREAT way to learn.

After all, it's only food, and you'll have another chance tomorrow.

 

[Tex Pete]

Not to put anyone else's stew down, but trust me- this is the best beef stew you'll ever eat(or real close). It is unique:
Son of a Gun Stew
1/2 lb. bacon, sliced into small pieces
2 lbs. cubed beef(round, 7-bone roast, blade, or chuck roast)
1 lb. carrots, sliced
2 lbs. potatoes, diced
2 green peppers, sliced
5 medium stalks celery, diced
2 medium onions, diced
4 cups whole bottled or canned tomatoes
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in 12" dutch oven. Add onions and meat. Saute until brown. Add vegetables and seasonings. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender(probably a couple of hours)

I got this recipe from an old Dutch oven cookbook. It is made to be cooked outdoors, but I have cooked it inside more times than outside, and it always turns out great. I am partial to cooking it in a Dutch oven, but you can cook the meat and onions in a skillet, and cook the stew in a stock pot.

 

[DCLonghorn]

Pete - Is this recipe salty? Just curious because I've used recipes in the past that contained soy sauce they always turn out tasting salty.

 

[DCLonghorn]

What size Dutch Oven do I need, in quarts 3,5,7,or 9?

 

[Tex Pete]

I don't think it is too salty, and I usually add some salt. Just wait until an hour into the simmering process and taste it. Of course, you could also use light soy sauce. Sometimes, I add a lot of seasoning. Other times, not so much.

I usually use a 5-qt. Dutch oven, but it is full to the brim (and usually ends up spilling on the stove a little). If you have a larger one, use it.

 

[DCLonghorn]

In reply to:

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[Tex Pete]

I use my cast iron on a ceramic top electric stove, but I definitely prefer gas -- or open flame. I cook with my Dutch oven almost every night. It is my preferred piece of cookware.

Definitely make sure and season your cast iron before using it. If you don't, you'll never make that mistake twice. (yuck!)

 

[Idahorn2]

Fry up (i.e., saute) a cup of chopped onions and 2 cloves minced garlic in 2 Tb bacon grease until translucent. Cut 2 lb of good stew meat into 1" chunks, then dredge this in a half cup of flour seasoned with some salt and pepper. Brown the beef in the grease and onion.

Add 2 1/2 cups of beef stock, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 Tb Worcestershire Sauce and 3/4 cup of chopped celery. Cover and simmer for an hour. Add 6 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1" slices and cube 2 peeled potatoes. Simmer another 30 minutes, then add a package of frozen green peas and simmer another five minutes. If it is too thin, stir in a Tb of flour mixed with a little warm water and simmer until thicker. Serve.

Notice the gradual compilation of a classice mirepoix- onion, celery, and carrot. The peas are mostly for color and I have cut the ususal amount of taters in half. It looks kinda like school lunch stew, but I love it.

 

[DCLonghorn]

Trying Tex Pete's stew tonight. So far its been cooking an hour and will let cook another 45-60 minutes. It seems to taste a little bland right now and needs something to spice it up. Any idea what to add? Other than that, seems like a good recipe.

 

[DCLonghorn]

Actually, after it cooked a little while longer the spice and tabasco came out and it was very good. Enjoyed very much,

 

[Tex Pete]

Yeah, it usually takes a while for all the flavors to come out.

A lot of times, I'll use some all-purpose seasonings, like lemon pepper, Mrs. Dash, etc. Sometimes, I'll add a little more soy or Worcestershire. I also try to cook it for four or five hours, if possible.

 

[DCLonghorn]

I added more tobasco and worcheshire sauce but only cooked for about 3 hours.