I want to make a stew for about 15 people--just haven't done it in a while and am a bit rusty.
jlix
Jan 14, 2007 03:22AM
Who's Talking?
Create and share lists of your favorite lunch spots, favorite local eats, dream road trip and more!
Create a new
list now!
CHOW Pick, posted November 18, 2008
Food Media, posted November 19, 2008
Green, posted November 18, 2008
Wine and Drinks, posted November 18, 2008
Try this...it's rich and delicious. It uses 4# of meat, so might stretch for 15...but you might want to increase the recipe by half. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Belgian Beef Stew
1/4 pound bacon, diced
3T olive oil
4 pounds boneless chuck, bottom or top round, cut into 2” pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1/4C cognac or other brandy
1t salt
1/2t thyme
1/4t pepper
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1T brown sugar
12 oz. can of beer or stout
1-1/2C beef broth
3 slices country-style bread, crusts removed
3T Dijon mustard
2T red wine vinegar
Cook the bacon in a dutch oven or ovenproof stockpot until brown and crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add oil to the fat in the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Pat meat dry with paper towels and brown very well, a few pieces at a time (do not crowd the pot), removing them when done. Brown onions in remaining fat, remove and set aside. Discard any remaining fat.
Reduce heat to low. Add cognac and scrape up brown bits. Carefully light with match and swirl to burn off alcohol.
Heat oven to 350. Return beef, bacon and onions to pot. Stir in salt through broth. Spread bread with mustard and lay on top. Heat to boiling. Cover and place in oven. Cook 2 to 2-1/2 hours until meat is fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Before serving, skim fat from sauce and stir in vinegar.
Note: Chill any leftovers up to 2 days. Freeze in ziploc bags up to 3 months. Reheat gently over medium-low heat.
Permalink | Reply
What happens to the bread? I.e., how do you skim off the fat with the bread on top?
Permalink | Reply
After 2 to 2.5 hours in the oven, the bread melts into the stew and thickens the sauce.
Permalink | Reply
re the beer/stout - I assume it goes in the same time as the stock? Or is it just for the cook to imbibe while doing the prep? :)
Permalink | Reply
Tee hee! To shorten instruction, I write things like, "add ingredient A through ingredient G"...in this case it was "add salt through broth" and the beer/stout came right before the broth in the ingredients list. Thought I like the idea of having some extra to enjoy while making the stew!
Permalink | Reply
Now that you've explained it, it makes complete sense on re-reading. Thanks.
Permalink | Reply
Hi wyf4lyf-I made your stew yesterday-fantastic! Excellent flavors! Of course being me, I had to fuse in some veggies near the last half hour of cooking. My question-At 2 hours, it was starting to look a little dry so I threw in another cup of beef broth. I did halve the recipe because there a only 2 of us eating it (kids drive me insane!) -what do you think? At the end of 21/2 hours it was very thick and yummy. Thanks for the recipe-my husband said that 's a keeper!
Permalink | Reply
My family and friend favorite is this braised short ribs recipe that I substitute stew meat (about three lbs) and allow to cook in the oven for three hours.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...
The real key to this is the chocolate and rosemary at the end - AMAZING dish.
Permalink | Reply
This sounds incredible.
Permalink | Reply
It is - honestly it's a stunner.
Permalink | Reply
Julia's Boef Bourguignon is pretty simple, and very staightforward. Plus you get to taste the wine as you cook! :)
Here's my simplified version:
beef chuck, cut into 3/4" cubes and patted dry
rendered bacon fat
several mashed cloves of garlic
salt (&pepper?)
2 c beef broth
1 T tomato paste
3 cups good burgundy type wine
1 bay leaf
Render the bacon fat and use enough to "film a large skillet to 1/16th inch." Over moderately high heat, brown the beef cubes turning so all sides brown. Remove from pan to an ovenproof casserole and pour wine into the skillet, scraping up all the crusty bits. Pour this over the meat, add the bacon bits, and enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the rest of the seasonings and bring to a light simmer on the stovetop. Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven set at about 200-250 degrees. Regulate heat so that the broth is just barely shimmering. No boiling. Cook for 2-3 hours till fork tender, depending on the size of the casserole and amount of meat.
Add the last 20 minutes: quartered mushroooms that have been sauteed in butter, and some sauteed chopped or whole boiling onions.
Lift meat and veggies from casserole. Skim fat from juices. Make a butter/flour paste and add about 3/4 c of the broth. Whisk together and then whisk back into the beef juices. Stir and cook over a moderate burner to cook and thicken. Replace the meat and veggies and heat through for 5 minutes.
Serve with hot french bread, noodles or potatoes, and a salad.
Julia suggests you serve the same red wine used in cooking. If there's any left.
Permalink | Reply
Here's my never-fail beef stew recipe; this serves 4 as a main course, so you'll want to quadruple for your party of 15. Just be sure to brown the meat in batches so you get a nice sear. It's leaner than some stew recipes (no butter, cream, or bacon), but I (and my family) find it very hearty and satisfying.
Mom's Beef Stew.
1-1.5 lb sirloin or other lean cut, trimmed & cut on diagonal
1 tsp. worstershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
dash allspice
1/2 c chopped onion
2 c. water
Sear meat in a little oil over med-high heat, til a nice crust forms. Add onion and cook til softened. Add remaining ingredients, scraping browned bits, and simmer gently, covered, 2 hours or til meat is tender. Be sure not to let mixture dry out; add water as needed.
Remove from heat and cool slightly so fat rises to surface; skim.
Return to heat and add 4 cups water. Add chopped vegetables to your liking; i like 2 ribs celery, 2 potatoes, and 3 carrots, chopped big and chunky (or use a finer dice--your choice). Simmer til vegetables are just barely done. Near the end, add any frozen veggies you choose, such as corn or peas. Green beans are nice also.
Make a thickener from 1/4 c flour shaken with 1/2 c water. Add slowly to soup, stirring, til desired stew thickness is reached. Adjust seasonings.
I serve it over warm baking-powder biscuits. Good luck!
Permalink | Reply
This sounds very similar to my dearly-departed mom's recipe, except that she used summer savory as a spice. In her case she served it with dumplings (she called them doughboys) that were cooked on top of the stew at the last minute. I think I liked them better than the stew when I was a kid!
Permalink | Reply
Dumplings! Brilliant...I will have to try that!
Permalink | Reply
I've never made beef stew before, but I've got the urge since the weather is getting cooler and I know (think?) that I can freeze it in small portions for my kids to eat during the week.
Anyway, the above recipe is just what I'm looking for so I'm going to give it a try. I'm just not sure of something -- does it matter what kind of potatoes I use? I happen to have a bunch of small red potatoes, but I'm not sure if those would work. Also, should I peel the potatoes before adding them?
Thanks!
Permalink | Reply
Here is my recipe, which is a combination of a couple of recipes. I cook this at least once every other month, it is terrific. The indredients are mostly a guide, this is a dish where you do not have to be too spot on in terms of how much of this or that. Just cook and have fun, it is nigh impossible to screw up.
1 or 2 packages of dried porcini mushrooms
3 lbs short ribs or cubed stew meat (I prefer the short ribs, cut into 1 1/2 inch sections)
Black pepper
Thyme
6 Garlic cloves, smashed
zest of 2 oranges
olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large fennel bulb, diced
4 large carrots, sliced into rounds
bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup San Marzano tomatoes, crushed slightly
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bottle of hearty red wine
3 anchovy filets, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted
Fresh spinach (optionl)
- Toss beef in a large bowl with lots of pepper, thyme, garlic and zest. Put it in the refrigerator over night
- When ready to cook, season the meat with salt and let it sit out to come room temp.
- Mushrooms - Cover mushrooms with 1 cup hot tap water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Strain the liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with 1 paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
- Preheat oven to 325
- Remove the garlic, zest and thyme (or most of it) from the meat and reserve
- Heat a large dutch oven over high heat 3 min. Add 3T olive oil, wait one minute, then sear meat, in batches, on all sides. Remove meat to large platter. Reduce the heat if the fat begins to smoke or burn
- Reduce heat to medium and add fennel, carrots and onion. Stir and cook a couple of minutes. Add reserved garlic and zest, additional thyme sprigs and Bay leaf. Cook about 10 min until veggies are carmelized. Add tomato paste, stirring in well.
- Add canned tomatoes, stirring in well.
- Add balsamic vinegar and let cook a few minutes, stirring well. Then add red wine and reduce for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring the pot to a boil
- Add the meat to pot, along with any juices on the platter. Add the mushrooms and strained liquid, olives, anchovies, thyme, bay leaf and stir to get fully mixed. Cover with aluminum foil and lid. Braise 3 hours
- Add fresh leaf spinach when you remove it from the oven, if desired, and stir. Or, you can add the spinach to individual bowls of the stew. Serve over boiled potatoes or, my preference, buttered noodles.
Permalink | Reply
when I make my beef stew I just keep it basic, with beef chunks,potatoes, onions ,
celery, carrots and beef gravy. in a crock pot.
Permalink | Reply
Try Barefoot Contessa's Parker's Beef Stew - fabulous. I made a huge pot last winter and everyone went nuts over it. The recipe calls for sun dried tomatoes which I'd never thought to use before. It gives a real depth to the sauce.
Permalink | Reply