Autumn Beef Stew

Those of you who’ve been following me for a while (thanks!), you’ll know I’m a big fan of the one pot meals. I’ve made a variation of this stew a few times before with different flavours and also using flour to thicken the sauce. In this case I decided to keep it light and more of a broth than a thick(ish) sauce. One of my favourite variations is my Beef & Guinness Stew. This always proves a great hit especially on those cold winters evenings. Today’s stew is perfect for a lighter yet still delicious alternative. The beauty of these dishes is you can just forget about it for a couple of hours in the oven while you watch Oprah or do whatever it is that floats your boat!

Serves 4

Recipe:

2 lbs Organic Chuck Steak – excess fat trimmed, 1″ dice

3 large carrots – peeled. cut into 1/4″ slices

2 large parsnips – peeled, cut into 1/4″ slices

1 small turnip – peeled, cut into wedges

1 lb mini red potatoes – halved

1/2 garlic bulb

2 quarts low-sodium beef or chicken stock

1 cup white wine (whatever you’re drinking…..today)

1 bouquet garni – fresh thyme, 4 bay leaves

1 tbsp black peppercorns

3 or 4 tbsp olive oil

S&P

Directions:

Preheat large saute pan on high heat for 30 seconds. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and sear the meat in batches, 3-4 minutes, in a single layer. Do not over fill pan. Season each batch with 1/4 tsp S&P. Once meat is browned remove to a colander and let drain over a bowl. Wipe out pan after each use. Repeat process with additional meat.

Once all meat has been seared, wipe out pan, add additional tbsp olive oil and add vegetables to pan. Saute for 5-6 minutes until beginning to brown. Once browned add to large oven proof dish along with meat and juices. De-glaze pan with white pan. (I would normally use red wine with beef but I wanted to keep the broth light so that’s why I chose white wine). Scrape all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan and add to meat and veggies along with the broth, garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Cover with foil and pop in the oven for 2 hours approx or until meat is fork tender. It’ll melt in your mouth like butta but with less fat!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.