When a snowstorm is raging, and temperatures have plunged into the single digits, my advice is to make a French beef stew. As it simmers quietly, the stew will fill your kitchen (and probably your entire house, too) with the comforting aromas of thyme, red wine, garlic, and caramelized meat. Here's the step-by-step:
Note#1: Normally I use a cast iron skillet for browning meats and vegetables. But yesterday, for the sake of experiment, I used my non-stick electric skillet, heated to 350°F. The appliance worked like a charm.
Note #2: For this slow-simmering stew, the cheapest beef is the best beef. I used boneless chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes.
Note #3: Baby, it's cold outside. Let's rattle some pots and pans!
To start, grab 2-pounds of boneless stewing beef, and blot it dry with paper towels. (Wet meat won't brown properly.)
Then pour a glug of olive oil into a large, pre-heated skillet. Add the beef, browning it on all sides until a rich walnut color is achieved -- about 8 minutes.
Transfer the meat to a purple pot.
Next, slice up 5 fat (or 8 skinny) carrots...
And roughly dice 1 large, white onion.
Then run outside to your potting shed, shivering all the while because you neglected to wear a coat, and retrieve some of the hard-neck garlic you grew last summer.
The garlic will look much nicer if you rub off the dirt, and trim the roots.
Smash the individual cloves (you'll need 8 in total) with a rubber mallet or the flat of a jar. Then slip off the skins.
Tip a little more olive oil into the skillet, add the carrots and onions, and saute them until they begin to caramelize (turn lightly-brown) -- about 8 minutes.
Add the veggies and raw garlic to the meat. The garlic will turn wonderfully soft and sweet as it cooks.
Now deglaze the skillet: Add some red wine, and, using a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon, stir it about while it boils, and scrape up any stuck-on (and highly flavorful) bits of meat and veggies. Tip the deglazing liquid into the big pot.
Also add to the pot a big handful of coarsely-chopped flat-leaved parsley...
And a generous pinch of kosher salt, plus several grinds of black pepper...
And 1 honking teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. (Triple the amount for fresh leaves.)
While no one is watching, cover the works with an entire bottle of red wine. Use any red wine you like to drink. For the stew pictured here, I used a moderately-priced French Bordeaux.
No pictures of these next two steps: Bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the ingredients simmer quietly -- it should bubble only slightly -- for 2 hours. The stew is done when the meat is meltingly-tender.
Tip the finished stew into a wire-mesh sieve set over a large bowl...
Then empty the contents of the sieve onto a serving platter, and return the strained liquid to the cooking pot.
Shall we make a voluptuous sauce for this stew? I mean, a sauce that's so delicious you'll be tempted to drink it as is?
Good.
Bring the liquid to a boil.
Then whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water, and whisk the mixture into the boiling liquid. The liquid will thicken in about 30 seconds.
Tip: Want a thicker sauce? Add more cornstarch blended with cold water.
Ladle the sauce over the meat and veggies.
Then light a fire in the dining room (or, lacking a fireplace, just ignite some candles -- this stew invites romance)...
And pour yourself a goblet of Gamay or some other excellent red wine.
Then dive right into this fragrant, soul-warming, rapturously delicious stew, which, quite honestly, was no trouble to make. Serve it over brown rice, boiled potatoes, or egg noodles. Or, spoon it over a thick slice of toasted Sourdough Boule (recipe here).
Need a printable version of the above? Your wish is my command:
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Folks, Thyme and Wine Beef Stew is home-cooking at its best. I hope you'll try it someday. If you wish, you can cook the stew on Saturday, refrigerate it overnight, and then reheat and serve it on Sunday. Yes -- it's a stew that will wait for you.
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Also in Kevin's kitchen:
Cannellini and Ham Soup
Easy-Peazy Cheese Crackers (GF)
Rustic Apple Cake
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