RCP: Beef Burgundy Stew

It was 25 degrees this morning, it might snow tonight, so a stew was on my mind.

Beef Burgundy Stew

2 1/2 lb. lean stew meat
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 cloves (or more) minced garlic
1 can tomato paste
3 cups good quality burgundy (I use Australian Shiraz)
1- 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary
2 cans beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
1 lb. carrots, in one-inch slices
2 small onions, quartered
1 lb. small, white mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp. water mixed with 3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 cup fresh, minced parsley
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brown beef stew, add bay leaves, thyme, garlic and tomato paste, and a little beef broth to release the brown bits on the bottom. Be sure to scrape the bottom to get all the bits. Add burgundy and rosemary, bring to simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Add rest of ingredients except for parsley, salt and pepper. Bring back to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until veggies are done. Add corn starch mixture and stir until slightly thickened. Add parsley, salt and pepper.

My notes... I always marinate my stew meat in balsamic vinegar over night or at least 4 hours. This morning I drained the meat well and tossed with flour and browned in olive oil on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add a bit of beef broth and scrape pan to release the brown bits, add, a little butter, onion and cook until golden, add garlic, and cook a few more minutes. Proceed with the rest of the recipe. Using this step, you don't need the cornstarch/water mixture. I also adjust the herbs for my taste...usually more.
I found this recipe years ago on another cooking site. It was posted by Anne in Boston. You can also use chicken breast chunks, marinate in white wine, use chicken broth instead of beef broth, for a different twist.

Karen,

That sounds really good! Thanks for the recipe and comments. Which cut of beef do you recommend for the stew?

Karen,

That sounds really good! Thanks for the recipe and comments. Which cut of beef do you recommend for the stew?

I bought "beef stew" as it is labeled at our local meat shop, maybe beef chuck shoulder....it can be top round, just any cut that you can get lean chunks from. Once for company, I used beef filet.
I check the meat for tenderness after the first 90 minutes and then time when to put the veggies in.

Thanks Karen for this recipe and especially for your notes about marinating the meat in balsamic. Great idea. I have been having lots of trouble with my stew meat lately. I switched to the organic last yr and it always ends up dry, especially if I try and do it in the slow cooker. Maybe the marinating with help.

Maria, I had a similar experience when I used grass-fed beef. It had to be either roasted for a much shorter time or simmered for a much longer time. I think it just has a lot less fat distributed throughout, so tenderness depends upon either (a) not shriveling up the proteins in the first place, or (b) taking the time to let the proteins relax.

Thanks Karen for this recipe and especially for your notes about marinating the meat in balsamic. Great idea. I have been having lots of trouble with my stew meat lately. I switched to the organic last yr and it always ends up dry, especially if I try and do it in the slow cooker. Maybe the marinating with help.

I know what you mean, Maria. This year I went through the family recipes that my mom used to make and than I made for our kids. Some of them turned out totally different than I remember, and I am sure it is because the products are not the same size they used to be, and the quality is not as good. The meat is most definitely different. It is leaner and tougher. I think that is why I love braising meat so much because it is done with cuts that have more fat. I always make them a day ahead so the fat can congeal. I take that off but all the good flavor remains

Thanks Karen for this recipe and especially for your notes about marinating the meat in balsamic. Great idea. I have been having lots of trouble with my stew meat lately. I switched to the organic last yr and it always ends up dry, especially if I try and do it in the slow cooker. Maybe the marinating with help.

Maria, fat people have for years been telling us that "fat is where it is at". Seriously, I find that a little bit of fat is actually a good thing for flavor. if one renders a bit too much fat from browning the meat one can pour it off and still not be too dry. I find that 90% lean ground beef, is too lean, won't hold together, and simply just doesn't taste as good. I usually shoot for 85% lean instead.

Karen's recipe is essentially the classical French Boeuf Bourguignon.

There is no question that in general "fat is where it's at" when it comes to flavor in food. There is a good biochemical reason for this--most of the chemical compounds responsible for aroma and taste in food are fat-soluble (what chemists call hydrophobic) as opposed to water-soluble (what chemists call hydrophilic).

Your best bets for stewing are the cuts of meat that are the toughest and fattiest. The long period of slow cooking breaks down the collagen (connective tissue protein). Added acidity (the wine in Boeuf Bourguignon; the vinegar in Sauerbraten) assists in the protein breakdown. Fattiness in the meat assists in extraction of the flavor elements and (by partially repelling the water of the cooking medium) helps avoid the meat drying out.

One can always skim off excess fat (always leave a bit in, because that is where the flavor is, mainly), but you can't add it in if it wasn't present during cooking.

-Paul W.

Thanks everyone. The meat I buy is marked organic stew meat, chuck, but it's clearly much leaner than the non-organic stew meat I used to buy, because it just comes out so much drier. I can get it to fall apart, but by that time, it's dry. I think it must have a lot less fat than other stew meats.

Thanks everyone. The meat I buy is marked organic stew meat, chuck, but it's clearly much leaner than the non-organic stew meat I used to buy, because it just comes out so much drier. I can get it to fall apart, but by that time, it's dry. I think it must have a lot less fat than other stew meats.

Sounds like what you are being sold as "stew meat" is from the round primal cut. It, like the chuck, is a tougher muscle (one of the locomotion muscles), but the fat content just isn't there. This has little to do with "grass-fed" or "organic". Any steer that walks has tougher and more tender muscles, fatter and leaner.

Buy the chuck and whack it up yourself.

Sounds about right chef...I thought that might be the case. Will do cutting up my own chuck! Thanks for the tip.

Sounds about right chef...I thought that might be the case. Will do cutting up my own chuck! Thanks for the tip.

That was a sirloin tip.

Ba-dum ching! Thank you, folks, I'll be here all week.

Oh lordy Jeff