Beef Stew

Beef stew was a regular meal in my house growing up; always hearty, but full of potatoes. This version loses the starch but none of the flavor. There is plenty of food here so you’ll have plenty for leftovers or to keep in the freezer.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast – cubed
• 4 pieces thick cut bacon – chopped
• 2 yellow onions – chopped
• 4 medium carrots – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 medium parsnips – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 ½ cups red wine
• ½ cup tawny port
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• 16 ounces white mushrooms - chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat and working in batches brown the chuck roast for 5 minutes per side (10 min total). Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add bacon pieces and fry until crisp. Then add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic to the pot, taking a minute to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift and incorporate the browned bits. Add the wine, port, tomato paste, broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the arrowroot flour, stirring in well. Mix the beef back to the pot and cover.

Place pot in the oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the meat in fork tender. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and return to the stove top over medium-low heat, add the mushrooms, and let simmer for a final 10 minutes.