Enjoy an Avant Favorite: Comfort Food to Warm You this Winter
Check your calendar. It’s hard to believe Groundhog Day, 2015 is upon us!
And while the Avant Gardening and Landscaping team doesn’t know which groundhog will predict what – there’s the world-famous Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania, and Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie – we do know many of us may still end up hunkering down for a few more months of winter. This can be the perfect time to treat yourself, and your loved ones, to some warm comfort food. One of our favorites is a variation on Beef Stew. We’ve adapted a wonderful recipe found in Gourmet Magazine, but this one may help you use up some of the root vegetables you still have in storage.
Braised Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots (Serves 12)
INGREDIENTS
For braised beef:
- 5 pounds boneless beef chuck (not lean), cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 carrots, quartered
- 3 celery ribs, quartered
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (Cabernet or Zinfandel works well)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 3 cups water
For potatoes and carrots:
- 2 1/2 pounds small white boiling potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots
Preparation
Braise beef: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Pat beef dry and season with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, Brown meat without crowding, in 3 batches, turning about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.
Reduce heat to medium, then add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 12-minutes, until well browned.
Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook paste, stirring for 2 minutes. Now stir paste together with vegetables.
Add vinegar and cook; stirring for 2 minutes.
Stir in wine, bay leaves, and thyme. Boil until wine is reduced by about two thirds, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add broth to pot, along with water, beef, and any juices from platter. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cover and braise in oven, about 2 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender.
Set a large colander into a large bowl. Pour stew into colander. Return pieces of meat to pot. Discard remaining solids. Let cooking liquid stand for 10 minutes.
Cook potatoes and carrots: Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Slice carrots diagonally (1-inch), while beef is braising.
Add potatoes and carrots to stew (make sure to submerge both) and simmer while uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Dish up, and we hope you enjoy your warm comfort stew as much as we do!