I don’t know why, but I had a serious craving for beef stew. Maybe I just wanted to do more slow cooking in Winter. It wasn’t cold, but I was determined to warm the house with delicious smells.
This stew is the ultimate winter season stew.
I don’t use any flour or potatoes in the stew, so the sauce stays on the lighter side. I think the exclusion of flour and potatoes lets the natural flavors stand out. The addition of parsnips and fennel create a unique flavor base that is not typically found in traditional beef stew. The parsnips add a subtle sweetness, while the fennel adds that irresistible star anise flavor. I oven roasted sweet potato and green beans to go with this, but you could serve it with rice, or add potatoes to the stew for a more hearty profile.
Ingredients and Directions:
-1 pound stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
-1 cup onion, diced
-1 cup celery, diced
-1 cup parsnips, peeled and cubed
-1 cup fennel, diced
-1 cup carrots, diced
-1 cup dry red wine
-2 1/2 cups beef stock
-generous portion of chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced thin
-good handful of green beans
-olive oil
-salt + pepper
The Stew: Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven. When it begins to smoke slightly, about 5 minutes, add the beef and brown very well. Add salt and pepper as you brown the meat. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon once the meat is browned.
Lower heat to medium, and add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic with a good bit of salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine to deglaze bottom, and simmer mixture for about 5 minutes. Now add the beef, the beef stock, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes. Add the parsnips, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes.
Veggies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sweet potato and green beans on a dish, and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast them in oven for 30 minutes.
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