Beef Stew

Keep beef stew in mind if you are planning ahead for a stormy day when you have the luxury of staying in. For some of us, not much beats a good book, a fire in the fireplace, and the aroma of your dinner wafting through the air for a few hours.

 

You can imagine all the possibilities there are for making a stew, but keeping a balance of tastes and textures is important. You could omit the potatoes, if you like, and serve this with broad noodles. A green salad and French style bread are great accompaniments.

 

SERVES 6

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck or round, cut into 1½-inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup flour

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal, about ½ inch thick

1 large handful green beans, ends trimmed

6 to 8 boiling onions, dropped into boiling water for 1 minute and peeled

4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled

6 to 8 medium red potatoes, quartered

8 to 10 button mushrooms

2 stalks celery plus about 2 tablespoons of leaves, stalks cut as carrots, leaves chopped

 

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

 

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

 

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Instructions:

▪ Trim the beef of any big pieces of fat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the flour on a plate and roll the beef chunks in the flour to coat them.

 

▪ Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot on medium heat and brown the beef chunks, turning them so all sides are browned.

 

▪ While the beef is browning, bring 1½ quarts of water to boil in another pot. Rinse and cut the vegetables as suggested, keeping them large enough to remain intact during the 2 hour cooking time.

 

▪ When the meat has browned all over add boiling water to cover it, and then add the vegetables, bouillon cubes, and the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours until the beef is tender. Check it occasionally to make sure it does not burn, especially in the beginning when you are establishing the correct heat setting. You may want to remove the cover for the last half hour to thicken the stew.

 

▪ Sprinkle with the parsley before serving.