Barefoot Contessa Beef Stew

Amarante

Tue, Dec 22 2020, 11:09 am

This is a pretty solid beef stew recipe - it's cooked in the oven rather than on the stove top so it requires less tending since you don't really have to worry about the bottom becoming burned or the stew drying out from excess evaporation. This is where a really high quality Dutch oven is critical - Le Creuset is obviously the ideal but they now have enamel covered cast iron pans at relatively inexpensive price points and even those are lifetime investments.

Marinating the meat really did enhance the flavor and the sun dried tomatoes were also a great addition. I did add parsnips as I love parsnips in a beef stew.

Barefoot Contessa Beef Stew

Excerpt From: Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

serves 6

By marinating the beef overnight in red wine, he gave a simple cut of beef like chuck so much flavor. I make it days in advance and then reheat it for dinner with a chunk of French bread and a glass of wine.

2½ pounds good-quality chuck beef, cut into 1¼-inch cubes
1 (750-ml) bottle good red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
6 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces - sub facon
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1½-inch chunks
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 (14½-ounce) can beef stock
1 large branch fresh rosemary
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce - you can use vegan
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (not petit pois)

Place the beef in a bowl with the red wine, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Cover the bowl and marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight.

Brown the bacon in a large (12-inch) sauté pan for 5 to 7 minutes, over medium-low heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a Dutch oven. Combine 2 cups of the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in a bowl. Lift the beef out of the marinade and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the beef cubes in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. In the same sauté pan, brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place the browned beef in the Dutch oven with the bacon and brown the remaining beef. Add the second batch to the Dutch oven.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Lower the heat under the sauté pan to medium-low, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven with the beef. Add 2½ cups of the reserved marinade (discard the rest) to the sauté pan and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 275 degrees.

When the stew is done and the meat is tender, discard the rosemary branch. Ladle 1 cup of the pan juices into a bowl and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour it back into the stew, stir gently, and simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.