Beef Stew with Spanish Flavors
I’m usually quite veggie-centric, but a recent visit with my friend Jen and her son reminded my of the comforting and flavorful potential of beef stew. On a rainy Sunday during Flower Show week, I really needed to avail myself of this comfort.
Inspired by Jen’s recipe and this one, I was hoping for beefy, oniony, olivey goodness, but it really didn’t turn out that way. I think it turned out better. Next time, though, I’ll increase the capers, olives and garlic.
1 ½ # beef stew meat cut into large cubes or chunks, all of similar size
4 – 5 red skinned potatoes cut into chunks of similar size
3 – 4 onions cut into chunks
2 carrots cut into chunks
6 – 7 cloves of garlic, cut in half
1 packet Herb-Ox unsalted beef bouillon
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp Wondra flour. (You could probably use AP flour here, but I’m guessing you’d need less of it.)
½ - 1/3 cup sherry
½ - 1/3 cup water
15 – 20 oil cured olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 or 3 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
Generous squeeze of tomato paste
Slightly less generous squeeze of anchovy paste
2-inch strip of rind from a fresh, clean orange
1 ½ tbsp bacon fat, olive oil, or combo
3 bay leaves
5 or 6 parsley stems
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 finely sliced green onions, or ¼ cup chopped parsley
Blot excess moisture off meat with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. In 2 or 3 installments, sprinkle on Wondra, and toss to coat. Wondra is a very finely-ground flour, and will dissolve, disappearing into the meat. Don’t be tempted to keep adding more until you can see it. This will be too much flour.
Brown meat in the fat of your choice in a large pot over medium heat. You may want to do this in 2 batches to achieve better browning, but I didn’t bother. Add a few pieces of onion and a bit of the garlic for more flavor a few minutes into the browning. After a few more minutes, add anchovy and tomato pastes and stir. A tasty brown crust will be forming at the bottom of the pan. This is what you want. When meat is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan.
Deglaze the pan by pouring water and sherry into it and scraping the crust off the bottom. Add the tomato sauce (rinse the can half full of water) and bouillon and continue to scrape the pan until the majority of the tastiness is off the bottom and incorporated into the liquid.
Add parsley, orange rind, oregano and bay leaves. Taste for salt and pepper. Be careful with the salt. This liquid will reduce, becoming saltier. You also will be adding some salty ingredients in a little while.
Add the vegetables and put the meat back into the pot. Make sure there is just enough liquid to cover all of the ingredients. If not, add more water, and possibly more sherry. Bring this to a boil, and then turn the temperature down to low for a slow simmer.
Toss the capers and the olives into the mix. Simmer until meat is cooked through and veggies are tender. This could take an hour or more. If the water level falls below that of the ingredients, add just enough to cover. Taste the seasonings throughout cooking. The broth will become thick, velvety, and tasty. Remove parsley stems, orange rind, and bay leaves. If you should somehow end up eating the orange rind, I can’t say I’d blame you.
Serve in big bowls with nice bread, rice, or noodles. Top each bowl with sliced green onion or parsley. This makes a big batch, so you’ll be enjoying this for a few days. You’re welcome.
Inspired by Jen’s recipe and this one, I was hoping for beefy, oniony, olivey goodness, but it really didn’t turn out that way. I think it turned out better. Next time, though, I’ll increase the capers, olives and garlic.
1 ½ # beef stew meat cut into large cubes or chunks, all of similar size
4 – 5 red skinned potatoes cut into chunks of similar size
3 – 4 onions cut into chunks
2 carrots cut into chunks
6 – 7 cloves of garlic, cut in half
1 packet Herb-Ox unsalted beef bouillon
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp Wondra flour. (You could probably use AP flour here, but I’m guessing you’d need less of it.)
½ - 1/3 cup sherry
½ - 1/3 cup water
15 – 20 oil cured olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 or 3 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
Generous squeeze of tomato paste
Slightly less generous squeeze of anchovy paste
2-inch strip of rind from a fresh, clean orange
1 ½ tbsp bacon fat, olive oil, or combo
3 bay leaves
5 or 6 parsley stems
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 finely sliced green onions, or ¼ cup chopped parsley
Blot excess moisture off meat with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. In 2 or 3 installments, sprinkle on Wondra, and toss to coat. Wondra is a very finely-ground flour, and will dissolve, disappearing into the meat. Don’t be tempted to keep adding more until you can see it. This will be too much flour.
Brown meat in the fat of your choice in a large pot over medium heat. You may want to do this in 2 batches to achieve better browning, but I didn’t bother. Add a few pieces of onion and a bit of the garlic for more flavor a few minutes into the browning. After a few more minutes, add anchovy and tomato pastes and stir. A tasty brown crust will be forming at the bottom of the pan. This is what you want. When meat is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan.
Deglaze the pan by pouring water and sherry into it and scraping the crust off the bottom. Add the tomato sauce (rinse the can half full of water) and bouillon and continue to scrape the pan until the majority of the tastiness is off the bottom and incorporated into the liquid.
Add parsley, orange rind, oregano and bay leaves. Taste for salt and pepper. Be careful with the salt. This liquid will reduce, becoming saltier. You also will be adding some salty ingredients in a little while.
Add the vegetables and put the meat back into the pot. Make sure there is just enough liquid to cover all of the ingredients. If not, add more water, and possibly more sherry. Bring this to a boil, and then turn the temperature down to low for a slow simmer.
Toss the capers and the olives into the mix. Simmer until meat is cooked through and veggies are tender. This could take an hour or more. If the water level falls below that of the ingredients, add just enough to cover. Taste the seasonings throughout cooking. The broth will become thick, velvety, and tasty. Remove parsley stems, orange rind, and bay leaves. If you should somehow end up eating the orange rind, I can’t say I’d blame you.
Serve in big bowls with nice bread, rice, or noodles. Top each bowl with sliced green onion or parsley. This makes a big batch, so you’ll be enjoying this for a few days. You’re welcome.
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Phyl
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