Serves 6
As long as there has been fire and pots to set over it, cooks have simmered meat in broth, which produces some form of stew. The French dish called pot au feu (literally “pot on the fire”) is one of the oldest, but it’s made now in a variety of ways. Wine in a pot of beef becomes boeuf Bourguignon, paprika turns the meat into Hungarian goulash, Guinness makes it an Irish beef stew. Your notion of classic depends on what went into the pot in your youth. That might be fresh ginger and lemongrass, an array of spices that includes cumin and cinnamon, a handful of fresh chiles and lime. The classic part of this beef stew is that it’s an old-fashioned American version, as in 1950s postwar family dinners. It's short on prep skills needed, but long on oven time and comfort. There is no single, dominant flavor in the pot, but there are some things added to the liquid that you may not guess when you taste it. The meat is boneless beef chuck or top round (chuck is better because it has more fat). Cut it into very large pieces so you have something that looks grand in the end, or at least grander then a humble dish has a right to be. Brown the pieces with some red onion, then add tomato paste, a sprinkle of flour, chicken stock, a little water, generous splashes of soy sauce and cider vinegar, a whole clove of garlic, which doesn’t need to be chopped, and oregano still on the sprigs (the leaves will fall off). Let it simmer in the oven for an hour. Then tuck small golden potatoes and big hunks of carrots around the meat and send it back to cook for another hour-and-a-half, or longer, if the meat still isn’t tender. I’ve cooked beef stews for four hours wondering if the meat will ever be spoon-soft. Just think of this: You get an afternoon of those aromas, first in the kitchen, then throughout the house, and really, for all the next day. And when you fiddle with the recipe and add the seasonings and spices you like, you'll make it yours.
| 2½ | pounds boneless beef chuck roast or top beef round, thickly cut |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 1 | medium onion, cut into 8 wedges |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 2 | tablespoons flour |
| 1 | quart chicken stock |
| 2 | cups water, or more if needed |
| 4 | sprigs fresh oregano |
| 2 | tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, or more to taste |
| 2 | tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste |
| 2 | cloves garlic (left whole) |
| 12 | small golden potatoes, halved |
| 3 | large carrots, halved crosswise (thick ends halved lengthwise) |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (for garnish) |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Trim the excess fat from the beef. Cut it into 6 even pieces. Sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper.
3. In a large flameproof casserole or shallow soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook it, without disturbing, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it moves when you prod it gently with tongs. Turn and brown the other sides in the same way, turning only when the meat releases from the bottom of the pan easily. Add the onion wedges to the sides of the pan and turn them as they brown. The browning should take about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer all the meat to a bowl, but leave the onions in the pan.
4. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (it will clump when it hits the heat). Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, until it starts to color. Pour in the chicken stock and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the sediment, until it comes to a boil.
5. Return the meat to the pan with all the juices in the bowl, and let the liquid return to a boil. Add the 2 cups of water with enough additional water to nearly cover the meat. Add the whole oregano sprigs, vinegar, soy sauce, and whole garlic. Cover with the lid.
6. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Turn the meat over in the pot and add the carrots and potatoes to the pan. Continue cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is so tender it falls off a paring knife when you try to lift it out, and the carrots and potatoes are tender when pierced with the knife. (Total oven time is 2 1/2 to 3 hours.)
7. Taste the cooking liquid for seasoning and add more vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, if you like. If you see the oregano sprigs (all the leaves will have fallen off), lift them out and discard them. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped oregano and ladle into shallow bowls.
Sheryl Julian
Serves 6
As long as there has been fire and pots to set over it, cooks have simmered meat in broth, which produces some form of stew. The French dish called pot au feu (literally “pot on the fire”) is one of the oldest, but it’s made now in a variety of ways. Wine in a pot of beef becomes boeuf Bourguignon, paprika turns the meat into Hungarian goulash, Guinness makes it an Irish beef stew. Your notion of classic depends on what went into the pot in your youth. That might be fresh ginger and lemongrass, an array of spices that includes cumin and cinnamon, a handful of fresh chiles and lime. The classic part of this beef stew is that it’s an old-fashioned American version, as in 1950s postwar family dinners. It's short on prep skills needed, but long on oven time and comfort. There is no single, dominant flavor in the pot, but there are some things added to the liquid that you may not guess when you taste it. The meat is boneless beef chuck or top round (chuck is better because it has more fat). Cut it into very large pieces so you have something that looks grand in the end, or at least grander then a humble dish has a right to be. Brown the pieces with some red onion, then add tomato paste, a sprinkle of flour, chicken stock, a little water, generous splashes of soy sauce and cider vinegar, a whole clove of garlic, which doesn’t need to be chopped, and oregano still on the sprigs (the leaves will fall off). Let it simmer in the oven for an hour. Then tuck small golden potatoes and big hunks of carrots around the meat and send it back to cook for another hour-and-a-half, or longer, if the meat still isn’t tender. I’ve cooked beef stews for four hours wondering if the meat will ever be spoon-soft. Just think of this: You get an afternoon of those aromas, first in the kitchen, then throughout the house, and really, for all the next day. And when you fiddle with the recipe and add the seasonings and spices you like, you'll make it yours.
| 2½ | pounds boneless beef chuck roast or top beef round, thickly cut |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 1 | medium onion, cut into 8 wedges |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 2 | tablespoons flour |
| 1 | quart chicken stock |
| 2 | cups water, or more if needed |
| 4 | sprigs fresh oregano |
| 2 | tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, or more to taste |
| 2 | tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste |
| 2 | cloves garlic (left whole) |
| 12 | small golden potatoes, halved |
| 3 | large carrots, halved crosswise (thick ends halved lengthwise) |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (for garnish) |
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Trim the excess fat from the beef. Cut it into 6 even pieces. Sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper.
3. In a large flameproof casserole or shallow soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook it, without disturbing, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it moves when you prod it gently with tongs. Turn and brown the other sides in the same way, turning only when the meat releases from the bottom of the pan easily. Add the onion wedges to the sides of the pan and turn them as they brown. The browning should take about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer all the meat to a bowl, but leave the onions in the pan.
4. Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (it will clump when it hits the heat). Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, until it starts to color. Pour in the chicken stock and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the sediment, until it comes to a boil.
5. Return the meat to the pan with all the juices in the bowl, and let the liquid return to a boil. Add the 2 cups of water with enough additional water to nearly cover the meat. Add the whole oregano sprigs, vinegar, soy sauce, and whole garlic. Cover with the lid.
6. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Turn the meat over in the pot and add the carrots and potatoes to the pan. Continue cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is so tender it falls off a paring knife when you try to lift it out, and the carrots and potatoes are tender when pierced with the knife. (Total oven time is 2 1/2 to 3 hours.)
7. Taste the cooking liquid for seasoning and add more vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, if you like. If you see the oregano sprigs (all the leaves will have fallen off), lift them out and discard them. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped oregano and ladle into shallow bowls.Sheryl Julian
November 04, 2020 at 12:05AM
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Recipe: Sometimes you need the comfort of a classic beef stew and the aromas it adds to the kitchen - The Boston Globe
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