Coby Van Ruiten’s Zinfandel Beef Stew

A featured Wine Club recipe for Van Ruiten Family Winery.

Description

A delicious stew for this weekend! Robust flavors give way to the succulent and tender meat. Pair this with a bottle of Van Ruiten's Zinfandel for the best match.

Yield: 4 - 6
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 140 Minutes

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs. boneless beef stew meat cut into 1 ½ to 2 inch cubes
• Cooking oil
• 24 pearl onions (braised)
• 2/3 cup sliced carrots
• 12 halved small red potatoes
• 3 cups quartered sautéed mushrooms
• 5 to 6 cups Zinfandel (or 1 btl of wine + beef broth)
• 3 large unpeeled cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 cups canned, chopped tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbs. flour
• 2 Tbs. softened butter

Instructions

Browning the meat:
Dry the meat thoroughly. Add a ¼ inch of oil to the bottom of a Dutch oven and set over high heat. When hot, brown as many pieces of the meat as will fit in one layer without crowding. Turn frequently to brown on all sides (about 3-5 minutes); remove and set aside until all meat is browned.

Pour a cup of the wine/broth into the Dutch oven, swishing and scraping up any coagulated juices. Add the meat, garlic, and four more cups of the wine/broth into the casserole; fold in the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. You should have enough liquid to almost cover the beef; add more if needed.

Stew the beef for 2 hours at 325 degrees. After 2 hours, add the vegetables and continue to cook until tender. Cook at a slow simmer, either on top of the stove or in the oven, stirring occasionally. To finish and thicken the stew, stir in butter-flour (buerre-manie sauce) paste to desired consistency. Serve and enjoy with a bottle of Van Ruiten Zinfandel!