The
classic French beef stew is the comfort food of many, particularly during cold
rainy days. I like that it is a one pot dish, a time saver for busy (and lazy)
mother such as myself.
I
chose the shin cut for it unctuous, gelatinous meat which thickens the sauce in
which it is cooked. Beef shin is generally a
very affordable cut because of the long cooking time required and is sometimes
seen as undesirable – but the results are well worth the wait.
Dry red wine is usually
added for richness. Cabernet
Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot are good choices.
Avoid “cooking wine.” This is usually a blend of
poor quality wines and added salt.
Run out of dry red wine, I used fortified wines
(Port, Sherry, Dry Marsala) and so pleased to taste the added depth of flavor in
the stew. (I will be using port from
now on for stew)
This
stew improves in flavor when made one day ahead.
My
sister likes it with a dash of Tabasco while I like it with fresh sliced green
chili and drizzle of dark soy sauce.
It
brings a gratifying smile to my face when I see my guests wiping off the last
bits of sauce in the pot with the crusty bread.
Ingredients:
1.5 kg of Shin beef cut into cubes
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of black pepper
2 tbsp of tomatoes paste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup all purpose flour to coat the beef
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup all purpose flour to coat the beef
2 medium yellow onion cut into chuck
2 -3 tbsp of Oil
5-7 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 cups of dry wine, or port
2 cups of water
2 cups of broth (or beef stock cubes) Optional
Herbs (1 bay leaf, ½ tsp of dry thymes or rosemary) Optional
Roots vegetable (carrots, potatoes, mushrooms)
Parsley to garnish
Method:
1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat with 2
tbsp of oil.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and
toss in the flour to lightly coat. Brown the beef in small batches so that you
will get the lovely colour and flavour. (This may be time-consuming but
browning the meat adds depth and dimension to the stew)
3. Remove the meat and add
the onions, garlic. Cook till the onion are softened, caramelized. Add balsamic
vinegar to deglaze the pan. The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the
bottom of the pan.
4. Add the beef back to the pot and stir in the tomato paste, add wine, water, broth, herbs.
5. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and sugar.
6. Bring to a boil and cover to braise in medium to small heat.
Continue
to cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender, the sauce is
thickened.
7. Add in the carrot and potatoes at the last half hour.
8. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.
