Hearty Cabernet Beef Stew

We have not had a stew since the winter season, and I decided that it was time for another! I modified a recipe that I found in the cookbook “Herbs and Spices Cookbook” written by Virginia and Robert Hoffman. The aromas wafted through the house as this cooked and they just got better and better as it slow cooked in the oven! Use a cast iron dutch oven if you have one!  A quick preview:

Preview!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of flour, with salt and pepper added
3#’s boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of Cabernet Sauvignon
1 can of beef stock
3 TBS chopped Italian parsley
8 sprigs of fresh oregano
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 slices of bacon, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3/4# crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced and each slice cut into four
3 TBS butter
fresh parsley for garnish

The first thing I did was get my initial ingredients together. This includes the flour mixture, cutting up the beef, slicing the onion, mincing the garlic, measuring out the wine, opening the beef stock, and chopping the parsley, and removing the leaves from the stems of the oregano and thyme, and then crushing them to release their oils. This took about an hour to do.

Cut up chuck

Onions and garlic

Fresh thyme and oregano

I then got out the cast iron dutch oven and add two TBS of the olive oil. Then take all the beef and add it to the bag of flour. Shake the bag so that the meat gets coated. Heat the oil over medium high heat, and set your oven to 325 degrees. When the oil is hot add pieces of meat in a single layer in the pot.

Start browning the beef

You will be doing batches of the meat, and I was able to brown all of it in three batches. Brown the meat evenly. Set aside the browned meat in a bowl as you cook the remaining meat.

Browned beef

For the third batch you will need to add a bit more oil.

When all the meat is browned, add it all back to the pot, including the juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Then stir in the onion and garlic.

Add the onion and garlic

Turn the heat down to medium. Cook until you see the edges of the onion just starting to soften. Then add in the Cabernet and enjoy the aromas! Next add the beef stock so that the meat is covered. Next add the fresh herbs and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and place this in the oven. Cook this for 2 hours.

After about an hour and a half, cook the bacon until it is just done, and then set aside on paper towel to drain.

Brown the bacon

Then add the tomatoes to the bacon grease and cook down for about 5 minutes.

The tomatoes are ready

Add back the bacon to combine, and then add this to the stew in the pot. Add a bit more red wine and beef stock if the stew appears to be thick. Cook for another half hour.

While this is cooking, get your mushrooms prepared

Mushrooms are ready

and in a skillet add the butter. Heat over medium high heat and saute the mushrooms until they are just tender.

Sauteed mushrooms

Turn the heat off, and let this sit. The mushrooms will continue to release their juices.

After the 30 minutes of cooking has gone by, remove the stew from the oven, add the mushrooms, and combine.

Mushrooms are added to the pot

Then serve it up in bowls and top with a sprig of parsley!

Dinner is served!

Don’t forget to have a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with your stew! It is a perfect pairing!

I hope that you enjoyed this post, and that you try this wonderful stew that is chock full of intense hearty flavors! Let me know if you do!

Thank you for stopping by, and have a splendid Sunday!

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