Beef Stew

beef_stew.md

Ingredients

• 2 lb. Chuck roast, trimmed, sliced into ¾" cubes
• ½ c. Vegetable oil
• 6-8 Garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
• Around 2-3 lbs. Yellow onions, sliced into the desired size
• 1 bottle Light beer
• 1 gal. Homemade chicken broth/light stock (this makes a huge difference)
• ¼ c. Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Anchovy paste (or about 3-4 fillets smashed into a paste)
• 2 lbs. Carrots, sliced into 1-1½" chunks (pre-cut baby carrots are fine and prevents a lot of work)
• 1½ lbs. Dutch fingerling potatoes, washed
• 1 lb. Porcini mushrooms, sliced (or about 6-8 ounces dried Porcini)
• About 1 c. frozen peas (I go by sight on this)
• Dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary, to taste
• All purpose flour enough to coat sliced beef
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Generously salt the surfaces of the sliced beef and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; I do this while slicing the onions and garlic.
2. In a large mixing bowl, pour in enough flour to coat the beef and break up any large chunks. Mix in the beef in batches, coating the surfaces of the meat.
3. Add oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 sliver of garlic.
4. Once oil has heated enough to make the garlic sliver sizzle, add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant.
5. Add beef to the pot in batches to ensure that the oil stays hot, mixing frequently to ensure even browning.
6. Once meat is slightly browned, add the onion and cook until the onions just begin to soften.
7. Add the bottle of beer and stir once. Allow the beer to to cook until it stops creating foam.
8. Add the chicken stock, carrots, anchovy paste, and soy sauce. Stir and raise heat to high until the mixture is about to reach a boil.
9. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in dried herbs and pepper a little at a time, leaving a couple of minutes in between tastes (to allow the flavor to incorporate into the liquid) and adding more if necessary.
10. Allow the mixture to cook until carrots slide easily off of a fork.
11. Add the potatoes and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes also slide easily off of a fork. You may need to add more stock or water to cover the mixture.
12. At this point it may be necessary to taste the liquid again for seasoning, adding more if necessary.
13. With an immersion blender, puree some of the vegetables in the pot, thickening to the desired consistency. You can also remove a little at a time from the pot with a bit of liquid and blend/process if desired.
14. Add frozen peas and allow to cook until peas are tender. Serve.