A Classic Fall Menu Favorite: Beef Stew

My husband grew up on a farm. I grew up a military kid. He adores meat and potatoes. So do I. He's not an international cuisine fanatic. {He tolerates it for my benefit. I think that's really sweet of him...} I am a semi-adventurous eater. To blend and compromise our flavor palettes, I get to sneak in some of my favorite things into some of his favorites from time to time and it makes me chuckle when he LOVES the outcome.

We've switched to eating as much organic food as possible into our diets. I'm pretty certain we will never go all the way back. Today's menu choice is a classic favorite all over the world (with the exception of a few places like, say, India): beef stew. I have always --since I began cooking in earnest-- made it in the Fall, and have always been swept away with delight at the outcome. Here's how I did it this time. {I tweak my recipes almost every time I cook something from scratch.} This particular recipe will fill a very large {more than 10 quarts} pot if you keep adding volume for the ingredients. This recipe is enough to feed a family of 7 with varied appetites. You might even have leftovers. That depends entirely on how many hungry children are at the table.

The first step is to pour 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of the hot pot and throw in a 1/4 teaspoon of paprika along with about 5-6 medium chopped celery stalks. {Don't forget to wash your veggies first.} Gently salt your celery. {A literal pinch.}

I had two crowns of broccoli that I wanted to use just florets on their own as a side for another dish, but I hate wasting food, so I sliced the stems very thinly along with 7 medium (or 4 large) carrots.  Broccoli stems are packed with so many vitamins, it's kind of a sin to throw them away.

Once the carrots and broccoli stems are in the pot, sprinkle them with salt. Let them simmer for several minutes {5-10 depending on how finely they've been chopped} before adding 32 ounces of beef broth. I really enjoy hearty vegetable stews with decent sized chunks, no need to be overly precise about how small you chop. Broccoli stems add a depth of flavor in this dish without screaming to your angst ridden children, "You're eating broccoli!! Pbpbpbpbpbt!"

Season 2 pounds of beef tips with salt and pepper generously. Oh my stars. If you want to cut the stew beef into bite sized chunks, I won't stop ya', but I just used them the way I got them from the butcher. Holy. Moses. The great thing? I got two pounds of fantastic quality meat for less than $9. Have I mentioned that stew is a great way to stretch a buck?

Once seasoned, put that delicious meat in your pot. You'll want this to simmer on medium while you chop some parsley and add other spices.

I chopped about a cup for the stew.

Can you use dried parsley? Certainly. Will it taste the same? Not really. Close, but no cigar. There is no substitute for fresh ingredients. Ever. {hopping off of my soap box now}

Doesn't this already look promising?

You'll hear me say, "Sprinkle [insert ingredient here] over the entire layer of the pot," a lot. This is what I mean. {This is a good way to season regardless of the size of your pot. You will always have just the right ratio if you learn this technique.} I used garlic powder (not salt) and sprinkled just a touch over the surface of the broth/meat/veggies. If I'd wanted the garlic to be more of a pronounced flavor, I would have used minced garlic along with the other vegetables as they saute. Since, I was going for subtlety, I used garlic powder. Next... the flavor explodes. If you are a lover of spicy {warm to hot} food, this is where you'll add cayenne pepper. I sprinkled just a dash in at this point. Feel free to add a teaspoon or more if you like. Also, if you are so inclined, this would be the ideal place to add scotch bonnets or jalapeno. I am not prone to that particular proclivity, but I won't judge y'all who are. ;)

Hello, smoked paprika. I have loved getting to know the grown up organic version of you so very much lately. Come join the party in my pot. {Use about a teaspoon. Maybe a smidge more.}

Stir it all up. Oh, my heavens. It already smells good.

Quarter 8 medium red potatoes after you wash them well. Soup is not a place to eat dirt, y'all. Trust me on that. I won't tell you how I know this. Just. Trust. Me.

Can you stand it? I'm losing my mind from the delicious smell. It's only about to get better, my friends. Okay, now...











THIS particular wine is a truly delicious one to drink with steak or hearty stew. It's also not the cheapest wine out there. However, I love this vineyard for cooking purposes. The vines truly are old and produce a SPECTACULAR product for cooking or drinking {if you like a glass of wine}. Zinfandel is usually a spicier wine, more robust and stout than the fruitier tasting wines. These vines were transferred to California "from the old country" and have seriously old roots. I'm a fan of vintage anything, so if you've never tried this one and you're a big, bold red fan, you should give it a shot. I won't judge you either way. I used about 1 1/2 cups and then set the soup to medium for 2 hours, put the lid on and walked away. You can certainly leave out the wine if you are opposed to it. I used to be, but began cooking with it to see what the hype was about. It truly does deepen the flavor of food as it cooks.

After 2 hours of simmering, I came back {turn off the burner} and stirred in 1 cup of frozen {organic} green beans and 2 cups of frozen {organic} corn. After about 5 minutes of sitting, the textures are perfect, not overly cooked, not mushy. Just full of vitamins and wonderfully warm flavor. This is how the end product looks. I promise, even if you're not a huge soup fan, this one will make you happy. It's SO MUCH BETTER than canned food. You'll never want to eat from a can again!

You'll notice, there's very little fat in this recipe. You CAN add 2-4 tablespoons of butter as you saute the veggies, and it's DIVINE when you do, but I am keeping myself to a lower fat version of everything these days. Serve this with french or sourdough bread if you like and get ready for your power nap.