Slow roasted beef stew.

Our weather has been vacillating between frigid and down right balmy.  Today is the latter.  Of course the day I post my totally frigid weather slow roasted beef stew.  My family flips over any meat dishes and clammers for a hot bowl of this beautiful stew that the meat will literally melt in your mouth.  Perfect for a party, game day or a lovely Sunday dinner.  The slow roasting enhances the flavors making this dinner unforgettable.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef, cut into 2-inch cubes or already packaged as stew meat (try to buy organic grass fed if available)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoon + more if you need it olive oil
1 medium-sized chopped yellow onion
4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large yams (sweet potatoes), washed and chopped
4 clove garlic, crushed
1 handful of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
12-14 ounces of red wine, something you would drink
1 cup low sodium beef stock (I only had vegetable and used that)
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

I first get all of my beef and place it in a colander and rinse it off with cold water.  Let that drain.  I pat it dry with paper towels.  In a ziploc baggie, add your flour, salt, paprika and pepper – close the bag and give it a good shake to mix the ingredients.  Then add the beef to the mixture and close the bag again and give it a good shake.

Work in batches if necessary.  Meanwhile, get your Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat and add your olive oil.  Once nice and hot, slowly add the beef.  Brown the meat on all sides.  And remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Work through browning all of the meat.  Add additional olive oil if necessary.  Once complete with browning the meat, add the apple cider vinegar and scrape up the brown bits of meat that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Be cautious as it will bubble up quickly.

Then add all of the ingredients back into the pan.  Give a good stir and cover.  Turn the temperature down to low and let this cook for 2.5-4 hours or as long as you need (I let it go all afternoon).  Check the level of liquids while cooking as you may need to add additional wine or broth (your choice).  The ideal amount would be about 2.5-3 inches of liquid.  The meat should be falling apart and the vegetables tender.

Serve with a nice crusty bread.  Optional ideas:  Serve over rice, egg noodles or quinoa.

— Knead to Cook