Beef Stew

Beef Stew

Brian Lagerstrom Source Watch it .gravy
soup beef
2.5 kg beef chuck
2 generous glugs olive oil
2 large pinches + pinch salt
300 g mushrooms
400 g carrots
200 g pearl onions
1800 g store bought beef stock
30 g better than bouillon
30 g tomato paste
30 g worcestershire
28 g powdered gelatin
115 g unsalted butter
125 g AP flour
450 g dark stout beer
500 g small golden potatoes
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
150 g frozen peas
black pepper

Beef

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 500F.
  2. 2. Remove band of fat in the center of the pieces of 2.5kg beef chuck.
  3. 3. Cut the rest of the meat into cubes.
  4. 4. You should be left with about 1.5kg of meat.
  5. 5. Add meat cubes to a bowl and drizzle with a generous glug olive oil and 2 large pinches salt.
  6. 6. Toss to coat and spread beef onto a half sheet tray
  7. 7. Load into oven to sear for about 20-25 mins until well browned.

Vegetables

  1. 8. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high.
  2. 9. Add a generous glug olive oil followed by 300g mushrooms, 400g carrots, 200g pearl onions, and a pinch salt.
  3. 10. Sweat the vegetables to par-cook for 3-5 mins until beginning to soften and caramelize.
  4. 11. Transfer vegetables into a bowl and set aside.

Prep Beef Stock Liquid

  1. 12. Combine 1800g store bought beef stock, 30g better than bouillon, 30g tomato paste, 30g worcestershire, and 28g powdered gelatin.
  2. 13. Stir ingredients to combine and dissolve gelatin.

Roux

  1. 14. Return pan to stove over medium heat and add 115g unsalted butter.
  2. 15. When butter is melted, add 100g of 125g AP flour.
  3. 16. Stir to cook, scraping up brown bits from bottom of the pot.
  4. 17. Fry for 60-90 seconds until smooth and taking on color.
  5. 18. Add beef stock liquid and 450g dark stout beer to pot.
  6. 19. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping frequently.

Simmer Beef

  1. 20. When simmering, add in the beef.
  2. 21. Add a splash of water to the beef cooking tray, scraping up beef fond.
  3. 22. Add drippings to pot and stir to combine.
  4. 23. Load pot, uncovered, into 300F oven
  5. 24. Cook for 2 hours, stirring halfway through.

Combine

  1. 25. Partially peel and cut 500g small golden potatoes into very large chunks
  2. 26. Add potatoes to the bowl with the par-cooked vegetables and mix with the remaining 25g of flour.
  3. 27. Toss to combine. NOTE: if your stew is relatively thick at this point, omit tossing the veg in the flour or add less flour here.
  4. 28. Add potatoes/veggies into stew pot and gently stir. Add in 3 bay leaves and 3sprigs thyme.
  5. 29. Return to oven to cook for 1 more hour.
  6. 30. At this point, check the beef and potato for done-ness. Beef should be tender and shreddable, but not shredded. Potato should be fork tender, but not mushy.
  7. 31. Ladle off excess fat from top of stew (or allow to cool slightly, refrigerate, then scrape off fat from top once cooled).
  8. 32. Stir 150g frozen peas into hot stew.
  9. 33. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
  10. 34. Ladle into bowl, top with fresh cracked black pepper.