There’s something braising that causes the meat to relax, become tender, and absolutely succulent. Not to mention it smells damn good. This recipe was inspired by Michael Pollan’s newest book, Cooked. As he usually does, he got me all hot and bothered about food in ways I haven’t been before. Braising – or in this case, stewing – was no different. I needed it. My mouth did! It just had to happen.
Using prime Winter seasonal ingredients and inexpensive cuts of grass-fed meat, this saucy slow braised stew is exactly what the cold weather calls for – delicious. healthy. insanely good. Oh yeah, and you can pair it with the wine you use to de-glaze the pot!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chuck Beef, cut into 1-2″ cubes.
- 2 cups Carrots, chopped into 2″ pieces.
- 1 cup Celery, chopped.
- 1 pound New Baby Potatoes, well washed.
- 1 Onion, peeled & chopped.
- 2 cups Chard, chopped.
- 5 Garlic Cloves, peeled.
- 4 cups Beef Stock.
- 28 ounces of Canned Tomatoes.
- 1 cup Dry Red Wine.
- 2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme and Rosemary.
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Coarse Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
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Directions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef pieces – you may have to do this in batches. Brown well all over. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Once the beef is browned, turn the heat down to medium. Pour a couple glugs of olive oil to the pan and add the carrots, celery and onion – this is the base of the stew (and many other dishes); it’s called a Mirepoix (meer-pwah). Stir well to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until just starting to get a bit of color on the vegetables, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomatoes, chard, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and wine. Season well with salt and pepper. Allow the wine to reduce for about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef stock, garlic cloves, beef and season well with salt and pepper. If you have a Parmesan rind on hand, now is the time to add that too.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a low simmer, and allow to slow cook the mixture for 2 1/2 – 3 hours.
- When there’s an hour left on the timer, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the potatoes with some olive oil and a generous helping of salt and pepper in a baking pan. Place in hot oven and roast until golden (approx 30-35 minutes), shaking occasionally. Add to the simmering pot, making sure they’re covered with the remaining liquid.
- Serve with some freshly baked bread & eat!