Beef stew is classic comfort food. It’s a simple dish yet satisfying to the core. This recipe for Balsamic Beef Stew filled the house with a wonderful aroma while it slowly simmered on the stove, and was the perfect meal for a cold Fall day. Husband was almost giddy when he found out what we were having for dinner.

I added 4 oz. of quartered mushrooms along with the potatoes and carrots. Also, I let the stew simmer for a total of about 3 hours to ensure that the meat was fork-tender. The small amount of balsamic vinegar gives the stew a slight tang…boy, was it good! Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Balsamic Beef Stew
-Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Simple Suppers, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2007).

From the muscular shoulder section, beef chuck is a tougher cut of meat that is ideal for stewing. It becomes delectably tender with long, slow cooking.

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
2 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 Tbs. canola oil
1 large red onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 lb. red or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

In a resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, the 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the beef, seal the bag and shake to coat the beef with the seasoned flour.

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, remove the beef from the bag, shake off the excess flour and add the meat to the pot in a single layer. Cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate.

Add the onion to the drippings in the pan and sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, wine and broth.

Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and braise until the meat is nearly fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots, re-cover and continue to braise until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Season the stew with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the vinegar, divide among individual shallow bowls and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Tags: balsamic beef stew, balsamic vinegar, beef stew, boneless beef chuck, Comfort Food, slow cooking, soup, stew

I have to admit that this recipe sounds a little weird. It was originally published in an October issue of Bon Appetit a few years ago and referred to as “ghoulash”, a play on the word goulash. I ran across it when I was looking for a savory recipe that used canned pumpkin. Since I had everything on hand to make it, I decided to give it a try. First, though, I did a little research on goulash. What I learned is that goulash, the national dish of Hungary, is a meaty soup (or stew) that was traditionally made by herdsmen. It can be made with beef, pork, veal, or lamb, and usually includes vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, etc.), paprika, other herbs/spices (bay leaf, thyme, caraway, chili pepper) and served over egg noodles.

The pumpkin in this version of goulash doesn’t add any flavor…it really just adds some thickness to the stew. I made a few changes to the recipe that should be noted: I used 2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (instead of turkey thighs) and cut them into 1″ pieces.  I substituted red potatoes for the russets, and added in 3 chopped carrots and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the simmer stew. At the end of cooking, I seasoned the stew with a little more salt and pepper, and added 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar  to round out the taste. I served the stew with caraway noodles (I used bow-tie pasta) and garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

Pumpkin-Turkey “Ghoulash” with Caraway Noodles
-recipe from Bon Appétit October 2007

Using turkey makes this take on the Hungarian beef stew lighter. Adjust the heat level by using all hot paprika, all sweet paprika, or a combination. Makes 8 servings

2 large turkey thighs (1 3/4 pounds each), skin removed, meat cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup Hungarian sweet paprika or Hungarian hot paprika (or a mixture of both)
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can pure pumpkin
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 large fresh thyme sprig plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

1 1/2 pounds egg noodles
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Sour cream

Place turkey, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; shake. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Remove turkey from spice mixture (reserve spice mixture in bag). Add turkey to pot; cook 5 minutes. Place onions and potatoes in bag with spice mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Add vegetables to pot; cook 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add broth, pumpkin, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes begin to fall apart, about 1 hour.

Discard thyme sprig. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped thyme. Season stew with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and chill. Rewarm stew over medium heat before serving.

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles; return to pot. Add butter and caraway seeds to noodles. Toss until butter melts. Divide noodles among bowls; top with stew. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped thyme. Serve, passing sour cream alongside.

Tags: Chicken, goulash, pumpkin, stew, turkey

Husband loves meat, especially meat mixed with wine. It must be some kind of man thing. Anyway, for Husband’s birthday recently I wanted to make him a hearty meal that I know he would love. I decided on Beef Bourguignon (pronounced boor-gee-nyawn). Basically, it’s just beef stew cooked with a boat load of red wine. Meaty, satisfying, and delicious! The only thing I did differently with the recipe was to add some quartered red potatoes while the stew cooked instead of making the grilled bread with garlic. I did serve the stew with bread…just not on top of it. It’s also great served over mashed potatoes. I don’t think igniting the Cognac is necessary; it’s not worth the risk of singeing your eyebrows. Just add the Cognac and let it be. The recipe was a little time consuming (searing, simmering, cooking in the oven, etc.) but it was well worth it because Husband loved his Birthday Beef Bourguignon. It’s also a great entertaining dish because it can all be done a day or two ahead of time then reheated. 

Beef Bourguignon
-recipe by Ina Garten at foodnetwork.com
Serves: 6 servings

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:
Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
 
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

Tags: Beef, French, stew, wine