Since the kids were off yesterday due to the holiday, and there were no after school activities, I made this stew last night for dinner and it was well received by even the kiddies. (OK, with the exception that Michael does not care for cooked carrots in any form.) What I like best about this recipe is that the meat is cooked separately from the vegetables, so it can be prpared to whatever temperature you prefer. (Our family's taste runs on the side of medium rare.) Various cuts of beef can be used for this stew.
What is needed...
6-8 potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into quarters lengthwise
12-18 baby carrots
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
3 cups of reduced or non-fat low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 lbs steak, (hanger, skirt or flat iron)
1 large shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 c. dark beer (I used Guinness)
2T. Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1 sprig of fresh or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
How to prepare stew...
Preheat you oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the carrots and potatoes with 2 T olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast veggies in oven for 25 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times until the potatoes turn a golden brown. In the meantime in a medium size sauce pan, heat the broth to a gentle boil and then let simmer until the amount of broth has been reduced to a cup and a half, about 15 minutes.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and bring it to a medium heat. Season the steak with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and place it in the skillet. Cook steaks 6 minutes per side for rare, 7 minutes for medium rare, and 8 minutes for medium. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Add a little more olive oil to the skillet used for the meat and saute the garlic and shallot for about one minute. Stir in the beer, beef broth, mustard, soy sauce and thyme. Then transfer your vegetables to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Cook your veggies until they are tender and the liquid becomes slightly thick. Slice steak against its grain and serve with the potatoes and carrots.
This is a very richly flavored stew, so for a wine to accompany this meal my choice would be a lighter bodied red wine like a Pinot Noir, or
a medium to light bodied white wine, perhaps a sauvignon blanc. No matter what your preference in wine is, this meal is one you surely will enjoy
Bon Appetite!!!
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