Perfect Winter Beef Stew

As its name suggests, tonight's meal was just right for a windy, blustery day in NJ. I was a tad skeptical of the fact that it doesn't call for ANY spices or herbs... but I think it's okay without them. Maybe I'd add a touch of thyme... I don't know. What do you think?



I tore this out of an issue of Kraft Food, but unfortunately, the issue month/year did not survive, so I can't properly credit this recipe...

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Italian dressing
• 2 lb beef for stew, such as boneless beef chuck eye roast
• 6 slices of bacon, chopped (I am not a bacon person, so I skipped this.)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 cups sliced carrots
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained (I realized after I started that I bought a 28oz can... oh well!)
  
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
• (I also chopped 3 celery stalks)

Trim excess fat from meat and cut into even 1" chunks. Place into a large resealable bag, and pour in the dressing; refrigerate at least 30 minutes (I did a couple of hours).

Cook bacon in a large pot on medium heat for 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pot using a slotted spoon. Discard excess bacon fat (the recipe goes into detail about how to do this safely and NOT just pouring it down the drain).

Add onion and mushrooms to pot (I started w/ some EVOO since I skipped the bacon thing); cook on medium-high 10 minutes or until softened. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Add beef, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes WITH their liquid, broth, and bacon to the pot.

Bring to a boil, stirring occassionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer 15 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occassionally.

Makes 8 servings.


I LOVED this. It was a bit time consuming for a weekday meal (really, just because of the time it needs to marinate and simmer), but definitely worth it. Pat even slurped the bowl, and as far as Ryan goes... well, see for yourself: