Recipe

I Fall To Pieces Beef Stew

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I Fall To Pieces Beef Stew
  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Beef Stew
  • Chef

    Aliwaks's Notes: New Year Day my boyfriend and I had a epic fight, one of those fights that leave you emotionally bruised and battered and wondering if communicating via sock puppet is really as crazy as it...

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Serves 4

  1. Pat meat dry and season generously with salt, pepper and korean red pepper flakes, try not to weep as meat must be dry in order to brown properly

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  2. Fry bacon cubes till crisp, remove, pour off half the fat set aside, resist the urge to do a shot of bacon fat with bacon bits, it will do you no good.

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  3. Brown meat in bacon fat, do this in batches, you don't want to crowd the meat, it needs space (sob), set the browned meat in a bowl so to catch any juices

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  4. Pour off a bit of the beef fat and add mirepoix (carrots,celery. onion), bay leaf & thyme, season with salt & pepper and sweat

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  5. Add tomato paste, push the mirepoix off to the side of the pan and make a little solo area for the tomato paste, push and prod it a bit till it starts to turn rusty in color, when that happens mix it all up together

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  6. Sprinkle flour over the veg and stir that a bit to cook the flour

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  7. Add in carrot chunks, cippolini onions and any bacon bits left over from your constant snacking. Stir that in as well

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  8. Pour a small bit of the beef stock in to the pan, just enough to get all the fond, really get in deep to get to the bottom of it all

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  9. Add beef chunks along with all of the juice that may have seeped out

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  10. Add remaining beef stock and whatever wine you have not guzzled along side the bits of bacon.

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  11. Cover, put on back burner and let it stew, simmer for about 3 hours..on low. Go out and get your nails done or go to best friends house, do something constructive, do not stare at it willing it to be done whilst drinking more wine or eating bacon.

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  12. It will be done when the meat is soft and welcoming, the marrow has oozed from the bones and the onions have disintegrated in to gooey sweet bits.

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  13. If you've got it in you.. this would be wonderful with buttery mashed potatoes...though you could add a few cube potatoes in about 2 hours in to the cooking time if you like.

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  1. Combine everything but the fleur du sel.

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  2. Sprinkle a bit over bowl of warm stew, add flurry of fleur du sel..relax enjoy...

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5 Comments on I Fall To Pieces Beef Stew

Dsc_0281 Reply

it's one of the first real march (cool, rainy) days we've had so far in this crazy warm spring (my neighbors cherry tree is in full bloom). this recipe spoke to me for dinner with my close close friends on a Sunday night. made the gremolata with preserved meyer lemon! the house smells great, thank you!

20071208_cru_themomma_7027 Reply

just made it again tonight - and realized that I missed the garlic last time - when does that go in? still the best beef stew ever!

20071208_cru_themomma_7027 Reply

Aliwaks - I made this tonight for my husband who came home after being away on a long trip, and it was DELICIOUS!!! Love the story, love the recipe, I'll make it again and again - thanks for sharing ;-)

Title01 Reply

I love a recipe that starts with a poem.

Susan_headshot Reply

Who knew beef stew could be so romantic?

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