Gourmet beef stew

OK, here we go with another non-Filipino recipe. I haven't made this one since I left the States as beef is rather mahal (expensive) and a bit hard to find here, being imported from Australia or New Zealand and sold frozen. So I'm going by memory, but I've made it several times so I think I can remember everything.

My version of beef stew is a bit different than most: upon tasting it, I've had people ask me if I'm a gourmet and also ask me for the recipe. Like many home-style cooks, though, I don't follow a recipe as such: I just make stew! But here goes:




Ingredients:

Three packages of beef stew meat

Two large potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

One very large onion, peeled and cubed

Six cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

One large carrot, peeled and sliced*

Two stalks of celery, sliced

Two beef bouillon cubes

Water

Flour

Cooking oil

3 to 4 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 cup cheap red wine: any kind will do except burgundy, which will stain everything purple. Merlot is good.

1 teaspoon each ground sweet spices: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg

(Optional:) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet  (liquid caramelized sugar)


Instructions:

Cut the larger pieces of stew meat in half. Place some flour in a small paper or plastic bag. Add the stew meat, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat them with flour. Sautee them in hot oil in the bottom of a large, heavy stew pot, a few at a time, until brown all over. Remove and set aside

Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender and the pieces have separated.

Add the meat, potatoes, celery and carrot, then add enough water to cover very well. Add the bouillon cubes.

Heat until bubbly then lower heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes start getting tender but are still a bit hard in the center (pierce them with a knife to check): about 45 minutes. Add more water during cooking, if required. Also, stir occasionally to prevent sticking and scorching.

Add the wine, pepper and sweet spices. Stir, cover and continue simmering until all the vegetables are quite tender. It's ready to eat!

If you want your stew to look browner or darker, stir in the Kitchen Bouquet, a little at a time until your desired color is achieved,  just before serving. This is purely a matter of aesthetics as it won't really affect the flavor.

Serves 6 or so. Serve with some fresh bread and a simple green salad on the side and you can feed 8 or more.


There's something about the combination of beef, onions, red wine, pepper and sweet spices that tastes absolutely incredible! This is a great dish to impress people with at parties and pot lucks.

The flour used to coat the beef prior to browning will also help thicken the stew slightly, making the broth nice and rich.

*Note: I don't like a lot of carrots in my stew. If you do, feel free to use two carrots instead of just one. Likewise, I like lots of potatoes in mine; adjust the quantity to your own taste by buying smaller potatoes. Please do use plenty of onion pieces and pepper, though: they're necessary to blend with the flavor of the wine and spices.

Bon appetit!