Mike Hernandez - 20 / Jan / 2022
Casa M Beef Stew
This is the Casa M adaptation of a classic recipe from Julia Child called "boeuf bourguignon" or Burgundy beef. We keep the wine, but prefer a bolder Bordeaux-style cabernet and are less picky about the sauce (i.e. ours is more or less a one pot meal with no skimming). Regardless of the number of steps, whether you skim or not, are fussy about the mushrooms and/or pearl onions or not, this is a fantastic recipe that packs amazing taste into a simple beef stew.
Ensuring the beef is DRY before browning is critical. To save a step, you could mix the Casa M Spice Co® seasonings in with the flour and dust the beef and bacon with the mixture, almost like a fry-mix. Wine selection is entirely up to you. We have tried several. We like the more Bordeaux-style full bodied wines and have done this with cabernet as well as tempranillo and Rioja wines. Just make sure it's one you enjoy drinking since no wine gets any better when it's cooked down.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE STEW:
- 3 ounces bacon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 ounces carrot, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co® Chain Reaction®
- 1 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co® Cattle Drive®
- 2 Tablespoons flour, all purpose
- 3 cups red wine
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf, crumbled
PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER:
- 24 pearl onions, brown-braised in stock
- 1 pound mushrooms, sautéed in butter
LET’S GET COOKING
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut the bacon into lardons and sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables, then pour out the sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the pot and toss with the Casa M Spice Co® seasonings. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Put the uncovered pot in middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. Remove the pot and turn the oven down to 325°F.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot and put into the lower third of the oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2½ to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
When the meat is tender, add the cooked onions and mushrooms to the pot, mix well, (skim fat as needed) and serve.
