Recipe- Rustic Hearty Beef Stew with Hard Squash and Fresh Herbs
Ingredients:
1 lb. beef stew meat, chopped into 2 ” cubes
1 TBSP Paprika
4 Large cloves fresh garlic
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 TBSP Chopped fresh rosemary
1 TBSP Chopped fresh thyme
2 TBSP Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)
2 large carrots chopped large dice (around same size as meat or a bit smaller)
1 Cup chopped hard squash of your choice
1 medium onion, chopped ”
1 cup dry white wine or other wine you enjoy. You will taste the wine, so don’t use “cooking wine” that you would not want to drink. Nothing more false has ever been said about wine and cooking. Yuck. I always cook with wines I love to drink. You’re just using a small amount, so go for it.
1 cup chicken stock (always use un-salted)
1 TBSP sea salt or to taste
2 TSP Fresh ground pepper
______________________________________________________
1. Prepare all of the above ingredients and set asside.
2. Heat a stew pot large enough for all ingredients with oil. I prefer to use unprocessed coconut oil as it withstands high heat cooking.
3. Brown meat gently on all sides seasoning with salt and pepper. Only put a few pieces of meat in pan at a time so as not to lower heat. Take your time browing the meat as this is a big part of the flavor of the stew. Brown the meat in batches and set into a bowl.
4. After meat is browned return to pan with fresh herbs and garlic and cook on low heat adding oil as needed for just a few minutes to cook herbs and garlic into the oil for flavor. Be careful not to over cook.
5. Add stock and other chosen liquids as needed and all other ingredients except the parsley which I use to garnish. If you like a milder taste for the wine double the amount of stock to wine ratio.
6. Cook until meat is tender, which depending on the fat content and size of the meat will be different. Generally cooking time is from 45 minutes to 1 hour or more. Cook on very low heat and add seasonings and liquid as needed. You can add 2 TSP of white flour to thicken the broth if you like. This is a traditional way to thicken the stew but I leave it out in order to be gluten free. If you do add the flour be sure to add it to one of the cooking liquids you use like stock mixed in a small bowl when the stock is cold ONLY and mix well so you don’t have clumps. Add this mixture only 10 to 15 minutes before serving as it can become too thick. I also use rice flour to thicken broths for a gluten free option.
7. Garnish with the flat leaf parsley. You can serve the stew with white jasmine rice too if you like or serve it without and use a great crunchy sourdough bread instead, or go grain free here. Your choice.
Bon Apetite!
