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