Topic · Meat & Poultry
Spring Beef Stew
Spring Beef Stew
This bistro beef stew is a dish that you may find in a cafe in France during the spring when the vegetable are young and tender, made with wine or beer, whatever there are using, they are always delicious.
- 1.5 lb boneless beef chuck, (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, (to taste)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, (canola or sunflower )
- 2.5 cups brown veal stock or beef stock, (or even remouillage)
- 1 cup white or red wine
- 1 small bouquet garni
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 medium baby potatoes, (washed and cut into half pieces)
- 6 medium young carrots, (peeled and left whole)
- 2 medium parsnips, (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 16 small white pearl onions, (peeled)
- 1 cup sweet peas, (frozen)
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 204°C.
Place a skillet over high heat and add the oil. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper and sear the meat until brown, few pieces at a time in the hot oil, then transfer to a Dutch oven or casserole.
Sprinkle the sauté meat with the flour and toss well the meat to have it absorbed (this technique is called to “singer”) and then place in the oven for 4 minutes, or until it has a light crust. Turn down the oven temperature to 350°F.
Pour out the fat from the skillet (degrease) and back on the heat deglaze the pan with the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve the bits of flavors (caramelized sucs.)
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and add the wine from the pan and the stock. Bring to a simmer in the Dutch oven, and then add the tomato paste and bouquet garni. Stir to combine, return to a simmer, and then cover the Dutch oven.
Cook in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the chunks of beef. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Add the halved potatoes and diced parsnips to the Dutch oven and mix well. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, cover, and return to the oven for 20 minutes more. Then add the whole baby carrots and pearl onions to the Dutch oven and mix well and return to the oven for 20 minutes more.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Add the peas. Check the sauce for seasoning. Bring the stew to a simmer for 1 minute. Serve hot with good bread.
