Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Ultimate Beef Stew (Tyler Florence)

Picture of The Ultimate Beef Stew Recipe 

 

We love this recipe. It is so good! Great fall/winter recipe. :)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (this cut is also called chuck shoulder pot roast and chuck roast boneless)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy)
  • 8 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 1/2 cups beef stock
  • 9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
  • 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 cups frozen pearl onions, a large handful
  • 1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2
  • 1/2 pound garden peas frozen or fresh
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish
  • Toasted Peasant Bread, recipe follows, for serving

Directions

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.
While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.
Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.
After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.
To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream. Right before serving add a slice of Toasted Peasant Bread, half way submerged in the stew.

Horseradish Sour Cream:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chives, finely chopped, as garnish
Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

Toasted Peasant Bread:

  • 1 loaf peasant bread, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, halved
  • Chopped parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Put a sheet pan in the oven so that it gets good and hot.
Place the bread slices on the hot sheet pan. Drizzle the bread with the extra-virgin olive oil bake for 5 minutes, until the bread is nicely toasted. Rub the bread slices with the garlic cloves, and discard garlic. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Big-Batch Chili (Southern Living)


Ingredients

  • 4 pounds ground chuck
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (16-ounce) cans light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
  • Toppings: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, sliced ripe black olives

Preparation

  • Cook ground chuck, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Place meat in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir in onions, next 12 ingredients, and, if desired, beans. Cook, covered, at HIGH 5 to 6 hours or at LOW 6 to 8 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve with desired toppings.
  • Cooktop preparation: Cook ground chuck, in batches, in a large Dutch oven. Drain beef and return to Dutch oven. Add onions, next 12 ingredients, and, if desired, beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 4 to 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf.
  • To freeze: Let chili stand 30 minutes. Evenly divide chili mixture into 3 (1-gallon) zip-top plastic freezer bags; seal and lay each bag flat. Stack bags of chili in freezer. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw frozen chili overnight in refrigerator or defrost in microwave. Pour thawed chili into a 9-inch square baking dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap, and fold back a corner to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes or until bubbly, stirring after 3 1/2 minutes.

Chili-Corn Stack-Up Salad (Southern Living)


Chili-Corn Chip Stack-Up Salad Recipe
This is great for company. 

Cook Time:

Ingredients

  • 1 (3.5-ounce) package boil-in-bag rice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  • 1 (15-ounce) bag corn chips
  • 5 to 6 cups Big-Batch Chili, thawedhttp://lovetocookagain.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-batch-chili-southern-living.html
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded, or 1 (10-ounce) package shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
  • 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • Sour cream
  • 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe black olives, drained (optional)
  • 1 (12-ounce) jar pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

Preparation

  • Prepare rice according to package directions. Stir in cilantro, if desired.
  • Layer rice mixture, chips, chili, next 5 ingredients, and if desired, black olives and jalapeño peppers in individual serving bowls.