Beef Stew. Who knew?
This recipe is a surprise- even to me. You wouldn’t expect a life-long Vegetarian Goddess to create and fall in love with an Irish beef stew recipe, but that is precisely what happened this weekend.
Shocking?
Tell me about it.
Just when you think you’ve got your life all figured out, and your tastes and preferences arranged in a tidy packet of self-identification and veggie piety- all Hades breaks loose. Celiac. Food allergies. Broken hip.
Suddenly, your food-world view is quite literally flipped on its leafy little head.
So, after my orthopedic surgeon’s instructions to “eat lots of animal protein” to support the healing of my hip fracture, my husband and I decided to try our collective hands at making our very first Irish beef stew together.
The first beef stew of our marriage.
And what did I do as I spooned the first taste into my hesitant, quivering lips? Gentle Reader, I swooned like a virgin in a bodice ripper. I sighed. I grew faint with pleasure. I slurped. Oh my! I murmured through one spoonful after another. Wow, said my partner in crime. This is mighty damn tasty.
You could have knocked us over with a feather.
Karina xo
Karina’s Irish Beef Stew Recipe
We made our Irish stew in a slow cooker early in the afternoon. Well, actually, My Darling did most of the work. I sat nearby and offered opinions. The aromas emanating from our little cocina drove us stark craving mad till dinner time.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. grass fed organic beef, cut into cubes
Sea salt
Light olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup fresh pearl onions, trimmed, peeled
3 good sized hefty gold potatoes, peeled, cut up
3 good sized carrots, peeled, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup dry red table wine
4 cups organic beef broth (I used Organic Better Than Bouillon- check labels!)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dried Italian or French herbs, to taste (thyme, sage, rosemary)
1 bay leaf
Ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
First- salt the cubes of beef on all sides. Wait a few minutes (discuss the looming Writer’s Guild of America contract strike and soberly sip green tea).
Get your slow cooker situated and turned on to High.
Heat a dash of light olive oil in a deep heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes on all sides to sear in the flavor, using long tongs to turn the pieces. This doesn’t take but maybe five minutes, or so. Remove the beef and add it to the Crock Pot
Add in the garlic, pearl onions, potatoes, carrots and celery. Pour in the wine and broth. Stir. Add the balsamic, herbs and ground pepper. Cover and let the magic happen. The stew is ready when the beef and vegetables are tender- about 4 to 5 hours if cooked on High.
Taste test the broth and adjust for your taste buds- does it need a tad more salt? A pinch of sugar (or dab of agave
Light a few candles, spoon the stew into soup plates, and dig in.
And by the way, my Irish Soda Bread, and these Pumpkin Corn Muffins make a perfect little not-too-sweet bite for this hearty savory stew.
Serves 4 to 5.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
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More beef stew recipes to try:
From Elise at Simply Recipes:
Beef Stew with Mushrooms and White Beans
From Kalyn at Kalyn’s Kitchen:
Mediterranean Beef Stew with Rosemary
