In the Kitchen With Mattie

 

A nice warn dish for a chilly day. We are headed into rain again so the humidity is going up high and it is cold and damp outside, a perfect day for some rib sticking food and few things can beat a simple stew for sticking to those ribs.

 

                                                     Beef Stew

 

 5 pound chuck roast, trimmed and cubed into 2 inch pieces

 

1 large onion quartered

 

1 shallot diced

 

2 cups strong unsalted beef broth (preferably home made)

 

1 cup dry red wine

 

1 teaspoon salt

 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

1 teaspoon Maggi seasoning

 

2 bay leaves

 

1 sprig thyme

 

 

1/4 cup flour mixed with 1 cup water

 

1 pound carrots cleaned and cut into thirds

 

3 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into 6ths

 

Trim visible fat from beef and season with the salt and pepper. Heat a large shallow saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot and let heat, when hot add enough beef to barely cover the bottom of pan and brown on all sides really well, lower the heat if it seems to be burning. If your pan isn’t big enough to do it all in one batch then do several batches, don’t crowd the meat as you want it to brown not steam. When it is all browned, remove it to a platter, add the shallot and the onion to the pan and allow them to cook a few minutes until they start to brown a little. Add the wine and deglaze the fond from the bottom of the pan, add the beef back to the pan and pour the beef broth and the Maggi seasoning to the pan. Cover the pan tightly and allow the meat to braise over a low to medium flame for 90 mminutes, test the meat for doneness, it should be almost fall apart tender. Add the carrots and the potatoes to the pot and continue cooking for another 30 minutes until they test done. Remove most of the meat and vegetables to a bowl or large platter with a slotted spoon. Bring the juices to a boil and add the flour and water mixture, stir and boil for 5 minutes to thicken, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig, pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables, serve in deep bowls with some crusty bread.