Beef stew in red wine with onions and mushrooms pt 1

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 pounds Stew Meat; In 1 1/ 2- 2\" Cubes
½ Carrots; Sliced
3½ cup Red Wine Or Beef Stock Or Broth; (Or A Mixture)
1⅓ cup Tomatoes (1 Whole Unpeeled Tomato); Cored And Chopped, Plus Drained, Canned, Italian Plum Tomatoes
2 Bay Leaves; Imported
¾ teaspoon Dried Thyme
Salt
2 larges Garlic Cloves; Unpeeled, Smashed
16 Boiling Onions; Peeled
2 teaspoons Butter
2 cups Fresh Mushrooms; Trimmed, Cleaned, And Quartered Or Sliced
1 teaspoon Scallion Or Shallot; Chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Butter And Flour; For Thickening Sauce

Directions

Cookware: 2 heavy frying pans, 1 with a cover; 3-quart flame-proof casserole with cover; Wooden spoon; Colander; Saucepan; Degreasing pitcher; Rubber spatula; Whisk

Directions: Step 1: Brown the meat about 5 minutes Dry the meat thoroughly with paper towels (damp meat won't brown). Film the frying pan with oil and set over moderately high heat. When oil is very hot, but not smoking, brown as many pieces of meat as will fit in 1 layer without crowding. Turn the cubes frequently to brown all sides; as they are cooked, transfer them to the casserole.

Step 2: Assemble meat and vegetables Skim all but about a spoonful of fat out of the frying pan (if it is burned, discard all and add fresh oil); add the sliced carrots, stirring and tossing for 3 to 4 minutes to brown lightly before scraping them out and placing over the beef in the casserole. Pour a few tablespoons of the wine into the frying pan, and scrape up any coagulated juices with a wooden spoon; pour into the casserole. Fold in the tomatoes, half the bay leaves, thyme, and salt to taste. Next, add the garlic and enough wine almost to cover the beef. Stir to blend ingredients.

Ahead of time: The stew may be assembled a day in advance; cover when cool, and refrigerate.

Step 3: Stew the beef and vegetables 2½ to 3 hours or more Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cook, turning and basting the meat several times until fork-tender.

Timing note: Most beef stews take 2 ½ to 3 hours, but can take longer, depending on meat quality. It is smart to cook a stew an hour or more ahead of when you plan to serve; the wait always improves flavor.

Step 4: Braise the onions In the same frying pan you used for the meat, sauté the peeled onions in a little cooking oil, swirling the pan to turn them. They will not brown evenly, but will take on some color. Then add enough red wine to come halfway up the pan. Salt to taste and add the remaining bay leaf. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, until the onions are tender when pierced but still hold their shape. Set them aside.

Step 5: Sauté the mushrooms Put the butter in the second frying pan and set it over high heat. When the butter foam begins to subside, toss in the mushrooms (make sure mushrooms are dry). Toss frequently, swirling the pan by its handle, for several minutes, while the mushrooms absorb the butter.

In a minute or two it will reappear on their surface. Toss with the chopped shallot or scallion for a moment. Add a sprinkling of salt to taste and a few grinds of pepper. Set mushrooms aside.

Step 6: Finish the stew Pour the contents of the casserole into a colander set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the pieces of beef to it. Press juices from the rest of the food in the colander into the saucepan. With a degreasing pitcher (or spoon), remove any fat from the juices. Taste them carefully and boil rapidly if you want to intensify the flavor, but don't boil away more than a small portion of it. Discard the residue in the colander.

Step 7: Thicken the sauce For each cup of juices you have, mash 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. Using a rubber spatula, make a smooth paste. Whisk the butter-flour paste into the juices in the saucepan. When it is thoroughly incorporated, bring the mixture briefly to a boil and let the sauce thicken. If it is not thick enough, repeat the process, mixing another small portion (1 tablespoon each) of butter and flour.

continued in part 2

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