Beef stew. Who knew?
This recipe is a surprise, even for me. You wouldn’t expect a lifelong vegetarian goddess to create and fall in love with an Irish beef stew recipe, but that’s exactly what happened this weekend.
Shocking?
Tell me about it.
Just when you think you’ve got everything about your life figured out and have arranged your tastes and preferences into a tidy package of self-identification and vegetarian piety, all Hades breaks loose. Celiac disease. Food allergy. Broken hip.
Suddenly, your view of the world of food is literally turned upside down.
So, after my orthopedic surgeon’s instructions to “eat lots of animal protein” to help heal my hip fracture, my husband and I decided to try making our first Irish beef stew together.
The first beef stew of our wedding.
And what did I do as I poured the first taste into my hesitant, trembling lips? Dear reader, I swooned like a virgin wearing a ripper bodice. I sighed. I passed out from pleasure. I drank. Oh my! I muttered spoonful after spoonful. Oh, said my accomplice. This is powerful damn tasty.
You could have knocked us over with a feather.
Karina xo
Karina’s Irish Beef Stew Recipe
We made our Irish stew in a slow cooker in the early afternoon. Well, actually, My Darling did most of the work. I sat nearby and offered opinions. The aromas emanating from our little kitchen drove us crazy until dinner time.
Ingredients:
2 pounds organic grass-fed beef, cubed
Sea salt
Light olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh scallions, chopped and peeled
3 good-sized golden potatoes, peeled and cut
3 good-sized carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 glass of dry red table wine
4 cups organic beef stock (I used organic stock better than broth – check the labels!)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dried Italian or French herbs, to taste (thyme, sage, rosemary)
1 bay leaf
Ground pepper, to taste
Instructions:
First, salt the beef cubes on all sides. Wait a few minutes (discuss the looming Writer’s Guild of America contract strike and sip green tea soberly).
Place the slow cooker and turn it on High.
Heat a drizzle of light olive oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes on all sides to brown the flavor, using long tongs to turn the pieces. It won’t take more than five minutes or so. Remove the meat and add it to the crockpot
Add the garlic, spring onions, potatoes, carrots and celery. Pour in the wine and broth. Mixed. Add the balsamic vinegar, herbs and ground pepper. Cover and let the magic happen. The stew is ready when the meat and vegetables are tender: about 4-5 hours if cooked at a high temperature.
Taste the broth and adjust it to suit your taste buds: Does it need a little more salt? A pinch of sugar (or a nut of agave
Light a few candles, put the stew in soup plates and dip it.
And anyway, my Irish soda breadand these Pumpkin Corn Muffins make a perfect little bite that isn’t too sweet for this hearty savory stew.
Serves 4 to 5.
Recipe source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
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Moreover Beef Stew Recipes to Try:
From Elise on Simply Recipes:
Beef Stew With Mushrooms And White Beans
From Kalyn at Kalyn’s Kitchen:
Mediterranean Beef Stew with Rosemary
