Eat Something Good

We loaded up on vegetables this past weekend.  I thought it’d be a good idea to make a giant stew that we could enjoy for a while.  I had thoughts in mind but no real recipe.  I learned how to make beef stew a certain way over fifteen years ago and it hasn’t changed much since then.  I taught Steve the skill a few years ago and he used it to make a venison stew that he’s still proud of to this day.  I like the way a simmering stew makes the house smell.  So rich, so meaty.  Steve likes it when the house smells like good food.  I think he prefers the smells of food even in lieu of a fresh clean scent.  I’m on the fence about that one.  I employed Steve’s professional services.  I peeled, but he chopped and diced everything.  And there was quite a bit to do.  Knives.  Our knives, all of them, need sharpening in the worst way.  Nonetheless, I got what I needed for the stew.  And here’s what I did.

First, I rubbed salt, pepper and minced garlic on to the chuck stew meat pieces.  I did one side then seasoned the other after flipping the first batch over.  I seared each piece in two batches and set aside.  Next I added all the vegetables at once.  The vegetables.  Carrots, celery, onions, red potatoes & parsnips.  Usually, I cook the vegetables in stages but Saturday night, I was feeling adventurous and lazy so I did it my way.  I worried that enough moisture wouldn’t come out of the vegetables fast enough, but all that goodness stuck on the bottom didn’t burn.  It did get quite dark though.  Once the veggies had a little color on them, I threw them into a large bowl and set it aside.  To the pan with all the goodness, I added Progresso beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, s & p.  I then put the seared beef pieces back into the pot.  I let this simmer for over two hours before I added the sauteed veggies.  I had to adjust the amounts of beef broth, red wine & seasoning at this point.  I let it simmer for another 45 minutes and then thickened it slighty with a flour & beef broth slurry.  The stew, on its own, was a little thick.  I could’ve served it as is.  But I wanted it a touch thicker so the flavor would linger on my tongue.  That’s sad on my part.

Steve fell asleep before the stew was done.  I started peeling carrots at 5pm and we didn’t have dinner til 8:30pm.  It was well worth the wait.  I cannot wait to reheat it tomorrow and have some for lunch.  We both enjoyed it a great deal.  It was a beautiful dark brown color and the sauce had a good consistency.   Rachel Ray would probably call this a stoup or stewp.  It’s thicker than a soup but thinner than a stew.  And that’s exactly how it was.  I didn’t serve a starch on the side of this meal because as Steve said, it had a good vegetable to beef ratio.  Too many times I have had stews with too little meat or too little vegetables.  Or too little of a particular vegetable that I’m liking.  Mine was a nice balance.  When I took a spoonful of liquid and savored the flavor, here’s what I got.  Initally you get a rich, beefy flavor that’s highlighted and then expanded by the presence of red wine.  As you swallow, you taste the herbs.  The herbs layed low in the background.  It was mild but present.  And the final lingering was a little salt.  Not a salty taste, but a very full flavored & well seasoned taste.  All of the vegetables were tender and delicious.  The parsnips added a nice sweetness to the dish.  The beef was tender and fell apart easily.  This meal was good on its own, but with a nice crusty baguette?  Oh, it would’ve been killer.  Three words.  Eat Something Good!