Baking It 'Til I Make It: February 2013

I recently spent a week on the East Coast visiting my extended family. I also spent a good portion of that bracing myself against the harsh winter weather. Thankfully multiple kitchens were at my disposal so I was able to warm up by the stove as I cooked.

Here you have a cold weather classic, beef stew. How can you go wrong with a hot n' hearty stew?

Answer: You can't.

This is a great one pot dinner dish and it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Beef Stew

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

serves 6

**Marinate beef overnight. Cooking time takes a couple hours but you won't need to be over the stove for the majority of it.

Ingredients

2 lbs stew meat, lean beef, large chunks

10 oz. red wine, for marinating, give or take

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine or 1 can of beer

4 cups beef stock, or 4 cups water with 4 beef bouillon cubes

Water, as needed

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

½ tsp paprika

1 tbsp sugar

Salt & Black Pepper

4 carrots, roughly sliced

5 potatoes, quartered

Directions

Place the meat in a large oblong pan and cover with red wine. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight, turning in the morning.

Start three + hours before serving. Pat the beef dry of excess wine. Discard the wine used for marinating.

In a large pot heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. In small batches brown the meat on all four sides. Set aside and let the browned meat cool.

Working in small batches ensures the meat browns evenly.

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic, cook for another minute. Pour in wine/beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar.

If you don't have beef stock you can make your own using beef bouillon cubes.
Add the cubes to the 4 cups of water and let dissolve.

Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and let simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it does not thicken, use 1-2 tbsp of flour and a couple spoonfuls of water to make a roux and add to the stew. This acts as a thicken agent. If your stew gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.