Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew
Cooked low and slow, this stew is easily the best I’ve ever tasted. A large portobello mushroom cap lends loads of flavor as does the combination of red wine, beef broth and chicken broth. The 2-1/2 hours of oven braising time is worth the wait!
Recipe
2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
5 tsp. vegetable oil
1 large portobello mushroom cap, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. minced fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 T. flour
1 T. tomato paste
1-1/2 c. dry red wine
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. beef broth
2 bay leaves
12 oz. red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced 1-inch thick
4 parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced 1-inch thick
1 lb. kale, stemmed and sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. minced parsley
Put oven rack in lower-middle position and heat oven to 300-degrees.
Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tsp. oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown meat in two batches for 5-10 minutes each; transfer to a bowl.
Add mushroom pieces to the fat left in the pot, cover and cook over medium heat until softened and wet, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until mushroom pieces are dry and browned, 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 1 T. oil and onions and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, making sure there are no clumps of flour. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and beef broth until smooth. Stir in bay leaves and browned meat and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer pot to the oven, and cook for 1-1/2 hours.
Stir in potatoes, carrots and parsnips and continue cooking in the oven for 1 hour. Stir in the kale and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Remove stew from oven and remove bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 7 servings.