Beef stew

[Gardenwitch]

Tonight I made a great stew with some lovely garden veg; i'm so proud of myself

Ingrediants:

2 large leeks, chopped
1 large onion, sliced
3 shallotts, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small heart celery with leaves
15 medium sized mushrooms, quartered
2 chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped
olive oil, to fry off above all at once in pan for 5 min.

add one small package stew beef, fry off another 5 mins- just to sear the meat.

add in:

4 large carrots, chopped
3 large parsnips, chopped
4 tablespoons tomato puree
1 whole bottle of red wine
2 cups beef stock
1 small satsuma; squeeze the juice into pot.
Salt/Fresh Pepper/seasonings to taste
1 large sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves

cook on low heat in oven for 3 hours at 125, stir every hour. At beginning of last hour add:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar- if the wine taste is to strong for you
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
4 teaspoons bisto beef gravy granules; i like a thicker gravy

stir in and let cook for last hour, eat with garlic bread or dumplings and enjoy

[Rhona]

Hello, New Best Friend... and no the wine taste won't be too strong... Just my type of winter food!

I have a gorgeous recipe for Italian Oxtail stew that you'll love if you've got more veg.

Well done you!

[Gardenwitch]

Hi Rhona, glad the stew sounds to your liking; my other half ate 3 massive portions of it for supper tonight lol

Love the idea of real oxtail stew if your willing to share, I've always wanted to try it and just havent tried to figure it out on my own as yet, sometimes I'm so lazy

[Rhona]

ok -

Celery, onion, carrot and garlic, all finely chopped and sauteed in a little butter, with cubes of pancetta.

After about 20 minutes, add fresh thyme, rosemary and bay leaves (I use quite a lot but depends on how much you prefer)

Give it another 5 minutes, then pour in bottle of red wine (Chianti for preference) and reduce on a boil slightly

Add (unbrowned) oxtail, stewing beef and kidney if you fancy, a few juniper berries and grinds of pepper (and beef stock or water if you need to), and when on a lightish simmer, pop into very very very low oven for four hours or so (I do it at around 115 for five hours)

Finish off on stove - adding mushrooms and any other veg you have. Reduce and then add tomato puree, little sugar, lemon juice, more pepper, until you have the consistency and
balance you want. Only salt at the end! It's marvellous with potato and celeriac mash.


The recipes are very similar - we love a winey/herby/slow-cooked thing in this house!

[Gardenwitch]

souds fab; thank you! I have everything on hand except juniper berries and oxtail Also if you like Celeriac I have a fabulous celeriac and apple soup, can I tempt you? lol