Beef Stew in Red Wine

Helga Glaesel de BlandingApril 9, 2012

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I had frozen beef tenderloin that I wanted to use, so I searched for stew recipes and this one caught my attention. The idea of braising beef with wine was something I wanted to try. The original recipe calls for baby carrots, and pearls onions. If you are able to shop ahead of time to get them, by all means do. I already had all the ingredients I needed to make this at home, except for those specific types of carrots and onions, so I improvised and used regular carrots and I chopped up a regular onion for my stew.

Pearl onions have a distinct flavor, they are milder and sweeter than regular onions so if you can get some, I do recommend you use them for this recipe. In Guatemala, you can find them at the supermarket (around the area where you would find the ginger root and garlic).

Helga

Beef Stew in Red Wine

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon flour
1 bottle of red wine
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
15 pearl onions (or 1 medium onion, chopped)
15 cremini mushrooms
15 baby carrots (or 2 medium sized carrots, chopped)
5 strips of bacon
1/4 cup water
Dash of sugar
Chopped fresh parsley

Procedure:

Buy about 2 pounds of beef tenderloin. Remove the skin or sinew from the top. Alternatively, use lean beef chuck in the same manner. Cut the meat into 8 pieces.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron pot that is attractive enough for the table. Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.
Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix in well so that the flour doesn’t form lumps. Stir in 1 bottle of red wine. Add 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.
Place the pot in the oven and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid properly reduced. The recipe can be prepared to this point up to a day ahead.
For the garnishes, peel 15 cipollini or pearl onions ( or, roughly chop 1 medium sized onion), wash 15 cremini mushrooms and peel 15 baby carrots (or peel and chop 2 medium carrots).
Combine the onions, mushrooms, carrots and bacon in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and a good dash each of sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; at this point, there should be practically no water left. Uncover and cook over high heat, sautéing the vegetables until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.
To serve, mix some of the vegetables and bacon into the stew and sprinkle the rest on top as a garnish. Add a little chopped fresh parsley and serve