Autumn Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried porcini, black trumpet, chanterelle and/or shiitake mushrooms
- 2 lbs (1 kg) boneless stewing beef
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive or vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) stout or dark ale
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (250 mL) chopped inner stalks of celery, with leaves
- 2 tsp (10 mL) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) white pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) soy sauce
- 1-1/2 cups (375) peeled chestnuts
- 1 celery root, cut into chestnut-size chunks
- 3 carrots, sliced into chestnut-size chunks
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp/5 mL dried thyme
- 12 oz (375 g) white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
Preparation
Soak dried mushrooms in 1-1/2 cups/375 mL warm water until softened; reserving liquid, drain. Chop mushrooms; set aside.
Sprinkle beef with black pepper. In skillet, heat oil over high heat; in batches, brown beef well all over and set aside in bowl. Pour off any fat from skillet; deglaze skillet with stout, scraping up brown bits. Pour over beef.
In Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 3 tbsp/45 mL of the butter; add onions and fry, stirring often, until golden brown. Add garlic, celery and chopped dried mushrooms; fry until celery is soft.
Stir in sugar, allspice, salt, white pepper and bay leaf; fry for 1 minute. Stir in beef mixture, soy sauce and reserved mushroom liquid; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in chestnuts, celery root, carrots and thyme; return to simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in nonstick skillet, brown mushrooms in remaining butter. Add to stew and simmer until all ingredients are tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Variation: Autumn Beef and Kidney Stew
Reduce beef to 1-1/2 lb/750 g. Halve a beef kidney lengthwise and remove most of the fat. Cut into cubes; soak in 1/2 cup/125 mL milk for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp/1 mL black pepper. Brown with beef. Proceed as above.
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