Classic Beef Winter Stew
This beef stew is the perfect comfort food for these cold, wintry days. The making of it warms up the kitchen and the cook! Any left-overs, freeze well, so make more than you need. This stew tastes even better if you eat it the next day as the flavours will be even more developed and enhanced.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil, more if necessary
20g butter, more if necessary
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, cubed
3 sticks celery, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, finely sliced
3 rashers bacon, chopped
1.5kg chuck steak, cut into 4cm cubes, well dried and sprinkle with salt
2 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp tomato paste
250ml dry red wine
750ml beef stock, or chicken stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
Bouquet garni of about 4 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf and parsley, tied together with string, for easy removal
1 tsp grated orange zest
10 grams 85% dark chocolate, optional
300 grams peeled and cubed sweet potato
Garnish
2 tbsp each chopped fresh oregano and parsley
Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter into large casserole or pot, add the onions and cook slowly for 10 minutes without burning; add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 – 7 minutes until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook a minute without burning it. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add a little more oil and butter to the pot, and when bubbling, add the mushrooms and cook until golden; remove from the pot and set aside. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until golden; remove from the pot and set aside.
Take some absorbent kitchen paper and pat the beef dry; it needs to be dry so it browns and caramelises well. Add another tablespoon or so of olive oil and heat it over medium heat, so when you add the meat the meat sizzles. Cook the beef cubes, in small batches; you do not want to overload the pot, as that will reduce the heat in the pan and stew the meat; cook, moving the meat around until it is a deep golden, caramelised colour, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot, and set aside; repeat and continue cooking the beef until finished.
Add the sweet paprika and the tomato paste to the last batch of meat and cook carefully, so they do not burn.
Deglaze* the pot with the wine, and stir around to loosen the lovely brown particles found at the bottom of the pot, called the ‘fond’. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, bouquet garni, orange zest and dark chocolate. The chocolate balances out the flavours and adds a depth of flavour to the stew.
Bring to the simmer and continue to simmer over low heat, stirring from to time until beef is tender and sauce has reduced; this takes about 1½ – 2 hours.
After an hour or so, add the cubed sweet potatoes and cook in with the stew, until tender and soft. The aim is to keep the cubed shape, so do try not to overcook them. Season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Just before serving, remove the bouquet garni, adjust seasoning; serve sprinkled with the fresh herbs and steamed, seasonal green vegetables.
If there is any left-over, allow to cool to room temperature, refrigerate and then freeze for up to four weeks or so.
*The technique for dislodging the fond from the bottom of the pan and incorporating into a sauce is called deglazing. This creates the best flavour in the sauce.
