beef stew

Boeuf Bourguignon – Beef Stew in Red Wine with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms

November 6, 2021 by Becky Spoon

I love a good beef stew, especially when it’s cold outside! This is from Julia Child’s Beef Stew with my tweeks. This stew is rich from the red wine and cooking it in the oven that Intensifies the flavors.

I like my stew with polenta especially when it’s thick like this stew, or with a slice of my buttermilk cornbread.

This is a must make during cold days to come! Leftovers are even better!! Bon Appétit!

Beef Stew in Red Wine with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms

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Servings: 6 servings

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

6 Oz Bacon with rind or Salt pork
1 Tbsp Olive oil or cooking oil
3 Lbs Stewing beef (I used chuck roast)
1 Onion, sliced
1 Carrot, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp Flour
3 Cups Red wine
3 Cups Beef stock (more as needed)
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
2 Garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 Tsp Thyme
Bay leaf, crumbled
The blanched pork rind
18-24 Small white onions
6-8 Small to medium red potatoes

Method

Cut the rind off the bacon or salt pork and cut into strips 1/4 x 1 1/2 inch long. Do the same with the pork itself.
Simmer the rind and salt pork in water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sauté the bacon in the oil over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove and set aside.
Heat the same oil and bacon fat still in the pan until hot and add the beef that you have patted dry a few pieces at a time until nicely browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon .
In the same fat brown the onion and carrot.
Return the beef and bacon to the pan and add the flour with salt and pepper.
Set the casserole uncovered in the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return for 4 minutes. (This browns the flour and makes a light crust). Remove the casserole and turn the oven to 325.
Stir in the wine, and stock to barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, then cover and set back in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until fork tender.
While the beef is cooking prepare the onions and mushrooms.
When the meat is tender, add the onions, potatoes and mushrooms and lightly combine. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over polenta or just with a piece of cornbread.

For the onions

Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter along with 1-2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and add the trimmed onions. Sauté for about 10 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup beef stock or broth, a pinch of salt and pepper and a little thyme. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender.

For the mushrooms

Place a skillet over high heat with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. When the moisture is released the oil will appear again and the mushrooms will begun to brown. Remove from heat when they’ve lightly browned:

For the potatoes

Peel a small strip around each potato. Place in a saucepan covered with water and a little salt. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.

amazing birria – a mexican stew.

August 19, 2020 by Becky Spoon

This Birria – a Mexican Stew is so good! I’ve been trying to post this recipe all week while in Cabo but the internet has been so slow I haven’t been able to. Ugh! Every time I travel I think I’ll be able to post as I’m there with local foods and experiences, but the internet is often a problem.

I’ve made this twice, once at home and once in Cabo which we made last week. This is a beef stew that you cook with dried guajillo chile and others if you like, that you remove after about an hour of cooking and they are soft, and then purée and add back in to the stew and allow to cook until fork tender. Absolutely delicious!

amazing birria – a mexican stew.

I used chuck and beef bones to make the stew. This is so similar to an American beef stew. Typically potatoes aren’t added, but you could. I also add carrots that I don’t think are typical, but I like to add them for added flavor. The stew is started with adding the beef and beef bones to simmering water along with the chiles, garlic, onions and some carrots to add flavor. Then I bring it to a boil, skimming off the impurities caused from the beef bones to insure a clear consommé. I then cook for about an hour, remove the chile and puree, add it back in and allow to continue cooking.

To serve, you spoon the meat and consommé into a bowl and top with fresh onions, cilantro and shredded cabbage! Serve with some limes and tortillas and you have a delicious Mexican stew! Everyone loved it.

I served this in a beautiful plain white bowl. They’re a little oversized, but I like that. Here’s a link for the bowls I used: https://amzn.to/3avR53a

amazing birria – a mexican stew.

I make extra when I make this recipe because the best, in my opinion is the leftovers in tacos! I make a chile oil that I dip tortillas in after I have dipped them in the leftover consommé, then place them on a hot griddle and load them with leftover beef, the onions, cilantro, cabbage and a good melting cheese like mozzarella or Monterrey Jack, then fry them on the griddle until they have crisped a little and the cheese is melted and oozing! Yum! so delicious.

When they are done, serve them with a cup or bowl of the consommé and more of the chile oil, fresh limes.

Here’s the recipe for the tacos!!

Ok, here you go, the recipe for the Birria. It’s not complicated and I promise you will love it!

Birria Tacos with Consomme

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Servings: 8 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

water (See note in instruction)
2 lbs beef bones (optional)
5 lbs chuck roast or brisket (I prefer brisket)
1 large onion
1 whole garlic, halved through the middle
4 bay leaves
2-3 epazote or bay leaves
5 carrots, halved or quartered
5 5 guajillo chiles or New Mexico chile,
5 pasilla chiles
2 ancho chiles
3 tbsp chicken bullion or cubes
1 tbsp salt
dried chile powder if needed

Birria Chili Oil

4 Guajillo chiles plus 1 extra for infusing the oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp Mexican Oregano
1/2 tbsp chicken bullion
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
For a spicier add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Toppings

1/2 chopped white onion
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1/4 head finely shredded green cabbage
lemon or lime to taste

For the Tacos

Corn tortillas
Good melting cheese like Mozzarella, Munster or Oaxaca
leftover toppings, onions, cabbage and cilantro
leftover consommé
leftover beef
chile oil

Method

Bring the water to almost a boil. If you're using a large pot start with about 16 cups of water. If not add maybe 8 to 10 cups, add your ingredients, then add more water to cover the ingredients. You want the roast and bones covered. Add the beef bones and the chuck roast to the water. Then add your onion and your dried chiles. Add the whole garlic, bay leaves and carrots. Add the salt and the chicken bullion.
Make sure you have enough water to cover the meat. Start the meat to a boil and when the impurities start to come out from the beef bones, remove with a skimmer. Allow the beef and other ingredients to continue to simmer for about an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare your chile oil. Remove the seeds and stems from the 4 Guajillo Chile. Place the chiles, bay leaves, chicken bullion, pepper, cloves, garlic powder, and the sugar (reserving the oregano for later) into a blender or coffee grinder and make a powder. Crumble the other chile and set aside.
Heat the chile oil to frying point, then remove from heat. Add the crumbled chile and cook, stirring until the crumbled chile is crisp. Remove the chile and reserve.
In a bowl, add the spice blend, the oregano and add the hot oil, mixing quickly.
Go back to the simmering meat and check your seasoning, If you need a little more flavor add a little more chicken bullion, a little at a time until the desired saltiness is reached. Now, remove the chiles in the simmering meat pot and and add to a blender . Blend the chile with a little broth until it's smooth. Add a little broth to our blender so you can get all the puree out. Now add the chile that you fried into a blender with a little broth and puree, then add it to your beef stew mixture. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 hours until the meat it falling apart and tender.
At this point I like to remove the meat, carrots and the bones to a bowl. you don't have to, but at this time I like to strain the broth because you added a whole garlic with the skins on. When you strain, press the garlic trough the strainer as much as possible with a spoon.
Add the broth back to the pot and your meat that you took off the bones and the roast itself that you have cut into pieces. Some do not strain at this point, so you don't have to. Also, if you want to add fresh carrots and cook until they are tender.
To serve, add some of the meat to a bowl along with the consommé. Add your toppings and a little of the chile oil drizzled on. Serve with some lime juice! Delicious!

For the tacos

Heat your grill or gridle to medium high. Dip each corn tortilla into the consommé, then the chile oil and place them on the griddle or grill. Top with some cheese first, then the meat, then the onions, cilantro and cabbage, more cheese, fold over and cook on both sides flipping until a little crisp and cheese is melted.
Serve with a cup of the consommé for dipping and additional chile oil.

Essential Old Fashioned Beef Stew

February 9, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Normally I make Old Fashioned Beef Stew without a recipe that I’ve made for years; however my sister made this Old Fashioned Beef Stew the other day that was yummy! Her Recipe came from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

https://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Book/dp/0544714466/ .

Her stew had a rich thickened sauce from the little bit of flour you tossed the meat. There’s a slight sweet taste, maybe from the vegetable juice, something I had never used in a stew but I think the juice added so much flavor to the stew.

I had to make this old fashioned beef stew and what better time than this chilly weekend! Why would I want to share another cookbook recipe? Because this is Better Homes and Gardens recipe and I think most of us learned how to cook from the old addition of Better Homes and Gardens recipe, and this is a great Old Fashioned Beef Stew I’ll add to my repertoire!

Essential Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Pair this Old Fashioned Berf Stew with my cornbread recipe. https://the2spoons.com/southern-cornbread/

Can’t wait for you to try this recipe! Let me know what you think! I definitely will be making this again!

Essential Old Fashioned Beef Stew

This classic stick-to-your-ribs stew is the ideal project for this chilly weekend. Beef, onion, carrots, potatoes, vegetable juice and beef stock come together in cozy harmony.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 50

Servings: 6 Servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 Lbs Beef chuck roast
1/4 Cup All purpose flour
1/4 Tsp Pepper
3-4 Tbsp Vegetable oil
3 Cups Vegetable juice I used V8
3 Cups Beef broth
2 Medium onionscut into wedges
1 Cup Thinly sliced celery
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp Dried oregano, crushed
1/2 Tsunami Dried marjoram, crushed
1 Bay leaf
4 Red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces I peeled them
4 Carrots , 1/4 inch sliced

Method

Cut meat into 3/4 inch pieces. In a large plastic bag combine flour and pepper. Add meat to a bag; shake until evenly coasted. Brown the meat. Stir in vegetable juice, broth, onions, celery, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, morjoram and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 60 minutes.
Stir potatoes and carrots into the stew. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 30 to 40 minutes or until meat and potatoes are tender. Discard Bayleaf.