Beef Stew

For me, my dad made the best Beef Stew. I think that it was my dad who gave me my love to cook and bake. He should be a chef.
Back to the stew . . .

So, our church celebrated Christmas Sunday night and we feasted afterwards. I asked Ben what he wanted to take for the feast and he said Beef Stew. Beef Stew? Um, okay?!?! I hadn't made beef stew before. I didn't know how. I thought about things I had seen on the Food Network and no, I hadn't seen beef stew. How does one make beef stew? Well, I winged it, to say the least. To my surprise, it turned out very well. ( I would say that Dad taught me well!) I even had someone ask for the recipe! Yay! So here it is:


Beef Stew
Makes: A LOT!

5 carrots
6 medium potatoes
1/2 of a small/medium onion (mine was about the size of a tennis ball)
3 1/4 lb. 'beef cuts for stew' (found at your local megamart - it's already cubed for you and says it's "for stewing")
12 oz fresh peas
a bag of frozen green beans (use fresh in season)
4 medium garlic cloves
2 quarts of beef stock (make sure its stock, not broth!)
1 small can of tomato paste
salt (We use kosher.)
pepper (Nothing beats freshly ground!)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Prep Work

Carrots: The carrots need to be peeled and cut to about an inch in length.

Potatoes: The potatoes should be cut so that they are similar in size to the carrots. This will help every thing cook evenly.

Onion: To chop the onion you will want to thinly slice it. Then thinly dice it.

Garlic: All you need to do to the garlic cloves is smash them with the side of the knife or the bottom of a can. ;) Once they're smashed, take off the skins.

Beef: Salt and pepper your beef before you put it in the pan.

The Process

Heat your biggest pot to high and add in the olive oil. Wait until the oil is wavy, then add your smashed garlic and beef (after it's been salt and peppered of course). You will want to add it in at least 3 batches to ensure that it browns. When each batch is browned, pull it out onto a plate. The meat won't be fully cooked yet - we'll get back to in in a few minutes. (Oh, and leave the garlic in the pot.)
Now you can add your onions, carrots and potatoes. Leave them alone for a few minutes so that they can caramelize. Stir them to caramelize the other sides.
Once your veggies are browned, add your beef back in. You will also add in the whole can of tomato paste at this time. Stir in the paste and cook for about 5 minutes.
At this time salt and pepper everything and stir. Then add both containers of stock. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot and get the food off the bottom. This is called deglazing. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Add the peas and green beans, and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. If you are planning on serving soon (within 20 minutes), let the stew simmer on low. To reheat for later use, place on medium for 20 minutes.

Bolded Terms:

smashed garlic: The garlic will be cooked for such a long time that it will 'melt' into the stock. There is no need to cut it smaller.

browning: Browning meat intensifies its natural flavors. It is caused by the "Maillard Reaction" and is closely related to...

caramelization: Caramelization converts the sugars in a fruit or vegetable so it tastes sweet (like caramel). It also softens the fruit/veggie (so, be careful, or you'll over-caramelize it and get burned mush!)

deglazing: By the time you have stirred in the tomato paste and allowed it to cook, there will be a residue of caramelized food stuck to the bottom of your pot. By adding the stock, allowing it to boil, and scraping the bottom of the pot, you can get that residue off, thus deglazing the pan. The residue will add lots of flavor to the stew.