Uncategorized

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew Redux Mermaid-Style

Note: This recipe was submitted and prepared by our marketing person (Sheree Johnson) who enjoys cooking and loves to update her family recipes – her family has a legacy of great cooks, from her Irish grandmother to her dearly departed brother, who was a classically trained chef.

I prepare this stew once or twice a year from memories of watching my mother, and before her sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen and watching her prepare it. The recipe was never written down. So this time I jotted down the ingredients and decided to add enhanced flavor and nutrition by including Land & SEASoning all purpose spice mix. It has become my “go-to” seasoning! Depending on what she had in the freezer, my mom would throw in either a handful of baby peas or frozen corn kernels, but my grandmother didn’t – so it’s up to you if you want to use either. The stew was as good as I remember, even better! Just serve with some crusty bread for a warm meal on a cold night.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into inch cubes
  • 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 ½ cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium packaged
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • Optional ½ cup of frozen baby peas or frozen corn kernels
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons Land & SEAsoning
  • ¼ cup thinly chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Combine flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd (or they will steam and won’t taste right). Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides; add more oil as needed between batches.

  2. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add the vinegar and wine to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

  3. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (During this time, my grandmother would always make a pie for dessert, typically her famous pineapple pie which I’ve made several times, pictured below from July of this year.)


  4. Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.

  5. Right before you’re ready to serve, if you decide to add the peas or the corn, stir them in and let them warm up in the stew for about 5 minutes.

  6. Add a little broth if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle a pinch of the thinly chopped parsley on top for freshness. Ladle into four bowls and serve! (P.S. Make sure you pull out the bay leaves.)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.