Australian Beef

Beef Stew
Susy's  Stew

Cooking with Australian Beef, a stew with a difference, it is light enough for Spring.
Using the lean gravy beef; braise slowly for a long time, and cook with herbs and spices in stock and red wine and finish it up with chocolate to enrich the gravy.  Garnish the stew with fresh herbs and chopped macadamia nuts.  Prepare a salad to go with the stew, or have the mixture afterwards.

The Beef Stew is Served with  Polenta

The stew is served with Polenta, garnished with whole macadamias or chopped.  Other nuts can be used too as you like it.


My Recipe:
Susy's Stew For Spring

Ingredients:
800 gravy beef, cut in pieces
l large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 bacon rasher, sliced into 6 pieces
1 cup aroma vegetables of each: celery and carrot
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 cup chopped tin tomato
Dry spices:
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon mix cinnamon powder and nutmeg
5 dried dates and 1 teaspoon currants
1 cup red wine
3 cups stock
1/4 cup olive oil
25 g beurre manié
45 g dark chocolate
Salt to taste
Method

1. In a hot heavy based pan,  pan fries the beef pieces to seal, keep aside.
2. Using the same pan, sauté onion, garlic until soft add the bacon.
3. Add in the tomato and the aroma vegetables, cook for three minutes.
4. Put the meat in, spices, salt, cook dates/currents, until they are hot evenly,
5. add in the wine
6. Cook for a few minutes, bring it to simmer.
7. Add in the stock and cook for ten minutes on the same heat,  uncovered.
8. Lower the heat, then cook to braise for two hours-covered
9. Stir the stew from time to time,  add the beurre manié at the last 3 minutes cooking time
10. At the last minutes of cooking, add in the chocolate stir to combine.
11. The gravy should be rich glossy brown and taste so delicious.

Note:  after almost two hours braising, you may have to add some hot water to get extra gravy.

After step 7, leave it, do anything else, but do not leave the house.  Check the cooking now and then is essential.  Don't burn the stew.

The Process of Cooking Susy's Stew

sealing the beef pieces

sautéing onion, garlic and bacon

adding tomato, aromatic vegetables

meat, wine, spices and the stock to cover the meat

braising the stew for ten minutes uncovered

braising the stew over low heat covered for 2 hours

 the stew over low heat after one and a half hours

after almost two hours braising, add in the beurre manie

the last minutes of cooking add in the chocolate

Delicious Beef Stew with Chocolate

The slow braising technique does not make the kitchen hot, and the dish is just perfect for spring weather; it is light but rich in flavours.  It is time to indulge chocolate in a savoury dish.

Serve the dish with pasta, rice or polenta.  I like to have a leafy salad green afterwards.
I believe that my beef stew is light enough to serve for Spring in Australia.


Happy Cooking.

Until Next Post
Susy