Beef Stew for a Rainy Day
The soaring cost of living has not escaped me, here or in real life. So it’s with some hesitancy that I offer beef stew, as even tougher cuts of beef meant for the stewpot have become costly.
I do have a reason for making this, though: I bought the roast last December, intending to prepare stew in the days leading up to Christmas, when I expected to be cooking for three people. What could be better, I reasoned, than a nice beef stew? Leftovers would make fine lunches. How could I go wrong?
Never ask that question.
One monster snowstorm and three atmospheric rivers later, I sit here typing during a lull in the rain. A large beef stew reposes in the refrigerator.
Random veg.
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My recipe is an adaption of the Daube Provencal in the 2005 November/December issue of Cook’s Illustrated.
As daube recipes go, Cook’s is straightforward, save a single ingredient: anchovies. I’ve never seen a stew recipe calling for them. I consulted Elizabeth David, Madeleine Kamman, and Paula Wolfert. None included anchovies in their stews. This isn’t to suggest the esteemed staff of Cook’s Illustrated is wrong to do so. The anchovy adds depth without being detectable. If you or those you cook for cannot abide anchovies, omit them. Otherwise, the beef stew only gains in flavor by including them.
Let’s discuss another stew ingredient. Meet the lobster mushroom, which does not taste like its namesake.
Cook’s doesn’t suggest lobster mushrooms. They were what I had in the house. Dried cepes are ideal, but use what you have. Like all dried mushrooms, dried lobster mushrooms may be used sparingly, as a few go far. Rehydrate them in warm water, or soak them in dry marsala, brandy, Madeira, or dry red wine to cover.
As for the meat, you can buy a chuck roast, or you can buy beef stew pieces. The choice is yours. The benefit of chuck roast is you control the size of the pieces. But you may not care about that, or not want to face cutting up a roast.
Your stew will be infinitely better if you brown the meat, a messy, boring chore. I’ve yet to see a recipe suggesting one do this in a separate pan, but I do, as I’ve had bad experiences browning and deglazing in enameled braisers.
I did not photograph myself browning the meat and transferring it to the braising pot, but I did it. I then deglazed the pan with the Madeira the dried mushrooms soaked in.
French stew dishes invariably add a bit of pork. The original recipe calls for salt pork. I had a pig’s foot in the freezer, so used that. If pork isn’t part of your diet, omit it. You might add a few fresh mushrooms, if you like.
I confess it was years before I could bring myself to use pig’s feet to my cooking. But my husband is not Jewish, and I do not keep a Kosher kitchen. I felt it hypocritical to look askance at one part of the pig when I so blithely cooked the rest of it.
This beef stew takes about 2.5 hours cooking time in a 325/160C oven. The stew may also be prepared using a pressure cooker, Instant pot, or on the slower end, a slow cooker.
Lacking pressure cookers or instant pots, I give you the tomato paste that went into the stew. It’s much prettier than my stove. Or my slow cooker, which is old.
Serve beef stew with rice, mashed or boiled potatoes, polenta, and crusty bread. A green salad makes a welcome side.
Not the actual salad. But a reasonable stand-in. Any salad with a purple vegetable, right?
Beef stew only improves with keeping in the refrigerater, up to five days. It also freezes well, up to three months.
Beef Stew for a Rainy Day
adapted from a recipe in the November/December 2005 issue of Cook’s Illustrated
Serving size depends on the size of your beef roast. Mine weighed 3 pounds/2.5 kilos, feeding two people four dinners and two lunches.
Preparation time: about 20 minutes preparation, then 2-3 hours braising, largely unattended.
The stew may also be prepared in a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, or in an Instant Pot.
Please see notes, below, for discussion of ingredients and variations.
You will need a large, lidded pot to prepare the beef stew. I used a 5 quart/liter enamel over steel Staub pot. Any comparable casserole will work. If your pan doesn’t have a lid, foil will work.
3 dried mushrooms, roughly equivalent to a tablespoon: porcini, cepes, shittake, lobster, whatever you have
roughly 1/2 cup/120 ml water or sherry, Madeira, dry Marsala, or red wine to soak the mushrooms
1-3 salt-packed anchovies, bones removed, rinsed and patted dry
2-4 strips of orange zest, white pith removed
two leafy sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
a sprig of parsley (optional)
1 two-three pound/approximately 2-2 1/2 kilo chuck roast, well marbled, in one piece or equivalent amount beef stew pieces
2-3 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and sliced into coins
1 medium to large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into rounds
2-4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup-3/4 cup/4-6 ounces/120-160 grams black olives, preferably pitted
2-4 oz/60 g salt pork, pig’s foot, or a piece of pancetta (see notes, below)
olive oil, for browning the meat
1/2 cup/4 oz/120 ml decent red wine (you may need a little more)
1 cup/8 oz/227 ml chicken broth, ideally home made, if not, low salt
1 14 oz/414g can best quality whole tomatoes in juice, either home-canned or purchased
2 tablespoons tomato paste
The beef may be presalted up to three days ahead of cooking. If you wish to presalt, use a teaspoon of salt per pound/half kilo of meat, and use less salt when preparing the dish.
Bring the ingredients to room temperature before beginning to cook.
Preheat the oven to 325F/160C
Place the dried mushrooms in a small dish. If using wine or spirits, pour over just enough to cover and set aside. If not using liquor, heat some water to boiling, and pour it over the mushrooms. Set aside.
Take the anchovy, orange zest, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and parsley, if using, and tie them together with kitchen string. Set them aside for the moment.
Now slice the beef. Bear in mind it will cook more quickly if sliced into smaller pieces. My slices were slightly larger than the carrot coins. But the size of the chunks is up to you.
Once the beef is sliced, place the braising pot on the stove over low heat. Pour in a small amount of olive oil and allow it to warm.
Put the pig’s foot or other pork product, if using, at the bottom of the pot, along with the bouquet garni.
If the olives are not pitted, take a moment to pit them using the flat side of a chef’s knife.
Add the carrot, onion, garlic, and olives to the pot.
Remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquor or water and roughly chop into pieces. Add them to the pot. You can strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a coffee filter, if you think it necessary, or leave it be. Whatever you decide, don’t throw it out.
As noted in the post, I prefer to brown the beef in a separate frying pan. It’s a chore, but doing it in enameled pots makes me nervous. So put a large frying pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Pour in about two tablespoons of olive oil. When it shimmers, add a few pieces of meat at a time. Crowding the pan makes the meat steam rather than brown.
The pieces of beef are ready to turn when they move easily rather than sticking to the pan. This depends on the beef’s size. In my case, this took about two minutes cooking time. I hate browning meat, so do two to three “faces” of beef before moving them to the braising pot. Try to refrain from constantly testing the meat, as this only interferes with the cooking. I say this from experience.
Once all the beef is browned, pour off any remaining fat from the pan. Tip in the remaining mushroom liquor/water and deglaze the pan, scraping up the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Generous cooks add these to the braising pot. The rest of us eat them, as reward for slaving in the kitchen and cleaning up.
Now add the wine, chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste to the pot. Stir gently to blend a bit. If it looks like the liquid level is too low, add more wine. Season with salt and pepper. If you have presalted the beef, bear this in mind when salting now.
Don’t worry if the stew looks awful. It will find itself while cooking. Cover pot and place in oven, checking periodically to ensure all is well. Cooking time is 2-3 hours, depending on your meat and your stove. The stew is done when you can prod the beef easily with a fork. The stew will also look and smell ready to eat.
Serve beef stew with rice, noodles, potatoes, or polenta. Bread and salad are most welcome.
Notes:
Almost every daube recipe I’ve encountered includes some sort of pork product. If you do not consume pork, omit it. Try fresh mushrooms as an optional substitution. Wipe them clean with a paper towel, trim and slice them, toss into pot.
The onion may be replaced with shallots. Remove papery husk and slice thinly.
Don’t worry if the orange peel tears. It’s not here for a beauty contest, but to add flavor. Scrape off as much of the white pith as you can.
Please pit the olives. We do not want to start 2023 with anyone choking.
I promise you nobody will taste the anchovies. Salt-packed are best.
I used home-canned tomatoes, which I preserve in 2-cup jars. This is roughly 400 grams.
I keep a jar in the fridge for pouring off fat. When it’s full, I throw it out.
Stews are forgiving. You want to be sure there’s enough liquid without the food swimming in it. Meaning the meat should poke above the surface rather than being submerged.
Given meat’s soaring costs, you might consider replacing the beef with pork (granted, not much cheaper) or chicken (which does cost less).
If you use pork, be sure to buy a piece that is well-marbled with fat; pork belly would be ideal here. Pork chops would work as well. Avoid boneless cuts unless they’re fatty, as dried out pork isn’t pleasant eating. Swap red wine for white or Vermouth. If you soak the dried mushrooms in liquor, make sure it complements the dish.
If you opt for chicken, bone-in parts are best. Avoid boneless breast, as dryness is a risk. If you must use boneless parts, thigh is best. Check for doneness after one hour. Swap red wine for a light, dry rose, white wine or Vermouth. As above, make sure the mushroom soaking liquor complements the dish.
Orange peel makes a subtle, warming addition to soups and stews. It’s worth saving a stack in the freezer
