Winter Warmer

Here’s a nice beef stew recipe I’ve been playing around with for years.

3 pounds of beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup of vegetable oil
4 large, sweet onions, chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
1 stick of butter cut in half
¼ cup of flour
1 14 oz. can of small dice tomatoes
1 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 T. sweet paprika
2 t. salt
2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 t. dry thyme leaf
1 t. ancho chili powder
½ t. rubbed sage
2 bay leaves
3 12 oz. bottles of good quality beer

Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels.

In a large dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the beef in batches with the vegetable oil. Get some good color on those cubes. Set the browned beef aside and pour out any oil in the pot.

Add half a stick of butter, the onions and garlic and reduce the heat to low. Scrape up the glaze as the onions sweat, and keep cooking until the onions are nice and caramelized. Should take around 20 to 30 minutes.

In another small pan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter, and when is starts to bubble, add the flour and whisk it in. Reduce heat to low and cook the roux until it turns a nice butternut brown. This should take about 30 minutes.

When the roux is finished, add it to the dutch oven. Return the beef and its juices to the dutch oven and add the mushrooms, herbs and spices. Stir all the ingredients together.

Slowly add the beer, stirring it in.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Turn up the heat to medium high and bring the pot to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat to a simmer. When the oven is ready, cover the dutch oven and put it in the oven for 2 hours.

Take the dutch oven out of the oven and put it back on a burner. Over medium low heat, reduce the liquid until it’s a nice sauce like consistency.

Serves 8 to 10 people.

This recipe pretty much screams for mashed potatoes, but I also like it with roasted potatoes. I’ve also added flat dumplings to the stew to great effect.

You can leave out the roux. Just reduce longer and let the onions be the thickener.

A note on the beer:

Use the same sort of beer you like to drink. This recipe works best with lagers and lighter ales. My favorite beer to use in this recipe is Shiner Bock, hence the recipe name. But use what you like with a mind to good quality beer.

(crossposted at Daily Pundit)

Comments

[Winter recipe]

The new Winter Warmer recipe sounds great..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrSTQDVc0tc I tried it once and all my family members love it.. Thanks for making a good recipe... Very good and best work!!!