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kindkitWhen I've made beef stew in the past, I've always been mildly disappointed with the result: edible enough, but a bit one-dimensional, with too many earthy flavors and not enough brightness.
Today I tried again and managed to fix the problem. The approximate recipe below makes a big pot of delicious stew.
3 lb beef chuck
flour for dredging
Olive oil
1 generous handful dried porcini mushrooms
6 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
1 large carrot, peeled
2 stalks celery
1 onion
1 lb crimini (brown) mushrooms
4 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon or so fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup sherry (I keep a bottle of decent Amontillado in the fridge for cooking)
1 quart/liter beef stock (store-bought is fine)
several sprigs thyme
1 red bell pepper (capsicum)
In separate bowls, cover the dried porcinis and the sun-dried tomatoes with hot water and let soak for about half an hour.
Chop the carrot and celery fairly fine; chop the onion; set all aside (they can go in one bowl). Cut the crimini mushrooms into quarters or sixths if large and set aside. Finely chop the garlic and mince the rosemary leaves; set aside.
Cut the beef into about one-inch pieces, removing any gristle and as much fat as possible. Dredge the pieces in flour and brown, in batches, in some olive oil in a large stewpot or dutch oven. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the onions, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook for five minutes or so over medium heat. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have lost their raw look and started releasing juices. Adding a little salt at this stage is generally good, but be careful if your beef stock is salty. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute or so.
Add the sherry and let cook down until almost all is evaporated. Meanwhile, remove the porcini mushrooms from their soaking liquid; strain the soaking liquid into the pot and cook down until almost all is evaporated. Chop the porcinis and the sun-dried tomatoes (discard the tomato soaking liquid).
Add the porcinis, tomatoes, and the beef stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer very slowly for about an hour, skimming any froth that comes to the surface.
Chop the bell pepper and add it to the pot. Add the thyme sprigs--it's a good idea to wrap them in cheesecloth (or stick them into one of those big paper sachets designed for loose-leaf teas and staple the sachet closed). Or you could remove the little thyme leaves from the twigs, but the other way is easier.
Keep simmering the stew gently until the beef is tender. Mine cooked for five hours total and another hour wouldn't have hurt. Serve with polenta (yum!), bread, or whatever you fancy. A simple green salad on the side (I dressed arugula/rocket with olive oil, lemon juice and a little honey and topped it with toasted walnuts) is nice.
Variations: Obviously there are a lot of possible options, but I don't recommend omitting the tomatoes or the bell pepper, because they add an important element of tartness and sweetness. If you don't want to use sherry, I'd recommend trying freshly squeezed orange juice with a little bit of vinegar added for tartness.
Today I tried again and managed to fix the problem. The approximate recipe below makes a big pot of delicious stew.
3 lb beef chuck
flour for dredging
Olive oil
1 generous handful dried porcini mushrooms
6 sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
1 large carrot, peeled
2 stalks celery
1 onion
1 lb crimini (brown) mushrooms
4 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon or so fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup sherry (I keep a bottle of decent Amontillado in the fridge for cooking)
1 quart/liter beef stock (store-bought is fine)
several sprigs thyme
1 red bell pepper (capsicum)
In separate bowls, cover the dried porcinis and the sun-dried tomatoes with hot water and let soak for about half an hour.
Chop the carrot and celery fairly fine; chop the onion; set all aside (they can go in one bowl). Cut the crimini mushrooms into quarters or sixths if large and set aside. Finely chop the garlic and mince the rosemary leaves; set aside.
Cut the beef into about one-inch pieces, removing any gristle and as much fat as possible. Dredge the pieces in flour and brown, in batches, in some olive oil in a large stewpot or dutch oven. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the onions, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook for five minutes or so over medium heat. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have lost their raw look and started releasing juices. Adding a little salt at this stage is generally good, but be careful if your beef stock is salty. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute or so.
Add the sherry and let cook down until almost all is evaporated. Meanwhile, remove the porcini mushrooms from their soaking liquid; strain the soaking liquid into the pot and cook down until almost all is evaporated. Chop the porcinis and the sun-dried tomatoes (discard the tomato soaking liquid).
Add the porcinis, tomatoes, and the beef stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer very slowly for about an hour, skimming any froth that comes to the surface.
Chop the bell pepper and add it to the pot. Add the thyme sprigs--it's a good idea to wrap them in cheesecloth (or stick them into one of those big paper sachets designed for loose-leaf teas and staple the sachet closed). Or you could remove the little thyme leaves from the twigs, but the other way is easier.
Keep simmering the stew gently until the beef is tender. Mine cooked for five hours total and another hour wouldn't have hurt. Serve with polenta (yum!), bread, or whatever you fancy. A simple green salad on the side (I dressed arugula/rocket with olive oil, lemon juice and a little honey and topped it with toasted walnuts) is nice.
Variations: Obviously there are a lot of possible options, but I don't recommend omitting the tomatoes or the bell pepper, because they add an important element of tartness and sweetness. If you don't want to use sherry, I'd recommend trying freshly squeezed orange juice with a little bit of vinegar added for tartness.
