What’s For Dinner: Beef Stew Deliciousness

There are those days, and I know you all know of them, that you just want some comfort food.  Anything that can be prepared in a slow cooker, to me, is comforting – and the other day we needed just that.  I hope you enjoy our recipe for Beef Stew.  Below is the gluten-free version, but you can always replace the gluten-free ingredients with conventional ones.

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 -4 lb. beef stew
• Gluten-free flour (or conventional!)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 8 oz pancetta, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 bottle red wine (we recommend a pinot noir but you can use any varietal)
• 1 package of demi-glace
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 16 oz mushrooms, halved

NOW, WHAT TO DO:

1. Add 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile, add flour in a shallow dish along with onion and garlic powder.
3. Dredge the stew meat in the flour, shaking any excess off.  Season the meat  with salt and pepper.  Cook the meat in the dutch oven, browning all sides (approximately 6-8 minutes total).
4. Remove browned meat and place in slow cooker.  Add pancetta, onion, carrots, celery to the dutch oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, until softened (not browned).  Stir occasionally adding about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
5. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Stir occasionally.  Thyme and parsley are added next, cooking for one minute.
6. Remove vegetable and pancetta mixture from dutch oven and put into the slow cooker.
7. Now add wine, tomato paste and packet of demi-glace to dutch oven, stirring to combine.  Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, making sure to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon – that’s where all of the flavor is.
8. Add wine mixture to the slow cooker along with the mushrooms.  Stir all ingredients together and place slow cooker on high for 8 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Serve with wide noodles (gluten free!), rice or small roasted potatoes.  Pair this with your favorite red wine, preferably the varietal that was used to cook with!