My First Stew!

I have never made beef stew. I'm a seasoned turkey/chicken souper, but i have never stewed. I also do not own a crockpot - my old one got dinged in one of my many moves. So when my mother gifted me with several pounds of local, grass fed beef along with a scribbled recipe for her beef stew, i was hesitant to commit to the project. I promised the hubs that i would, though and it really turned out amazing!  I started cooking at about noon, 2 hours late according to my mama, and the smells of stewing yum filled our little apartment for the rest of the day. I wish i'd baked up a fresh loaf of crusty bread to go with the flavorful stew, but a slice of toasted Dave's Killer Bread with local butter was pretty nice too.

Mom's Beef Stew, a la Miranda

• 1 pound grass fed stew meat
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• the last of the potatoes ( about four small potatoes, chopped )
• 1 turnip, chopped
• 4 small carrots, chopped
• bunch of cilantro, chopped (okay okay - chop everything in this list)
• several hot peppers, fresh and dried
• tomato sauce, paste, or roasted - i used some frozen tomatoes i had roasted during the summer
• optional celery and/or other soupy veggies like parsnips, radish, etc
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup mushrooms - i used some blanched and frozen chanterelles from an earlier mushroom hunt
• salt/ pepper/ clove/ cumin
• drizzle oil
• 3 cups water/stock/red wine
• splash apple cider vinegar
• splash worchestershire sauce
• handful flour 
• 2 fresh bay leaves

As per usual, the measurements are approximate.  Toss the chopped onions, garlic and meat in a bag with the flour. Coat the bottom of a stockpot with oil and brown the meat. Cover with the liquid and toss in everything else except for the carrots, potatoes, turnips and cilantro. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and keep covered on low for the next foreseeable future. About an hour before serving add the other veggies and splash of vinegar, bring to a boil then cover and simmer on low again until potatoes and carrots are cooked to your liking.
 

What really surprised me about this stew was how much it tasted like my mom's, even though i'd added cumin and hot peppers. My husband said 'well, it definitely tastes like beef.' I guess that's it: i just don't really know what beef tastes like. In this case, it tasted good and was the perfect amount of spicy. The roasted tomatoes added some sweetness and the vinegar at the end brightens the stew up a bit. The cilantro just adds another level to the stew without making it 'chilly' like at all.
I'm really looking forward to seconds tonight, along with some locally baked crusty bread. :)

Do you have a favorite stew recipe? Where did you get it?

Baked Salisbury Steak

When you have a whole mess of wild mushrooms on your hands, you have to use them in as delicious a recipe as possible! Salisbury steak is "the" recipe i request when i go home to visit my mom. She doesn't cook a ton these days, leaving the delicious fish preparation to Bud, my daddy #2 - but when i can convince her to cook up salisbury steaks I am never disapointed!

One problem i've had with enjoying this favorite recipe of hers, is that i really can't digest beef well. I should say, i can't digest 'conventionally grown' beef at all. I've recently begun dabbling in the eating of grass fed beef with pretty positive results (though i still get a tummy ache the next morning if i over do it) and definitely did not decline the several pounds of naturally grown beef mom got from our neighbor. Can i just say that the beef we got from the DuVal family is hands down the most delicious beef i've ever tasted, and i've only had the hamburger! Lean, bright red, flavorful. Yum.  Anyway, back to the recipe:

Mom bakes her salisbury steaks and generally uses golden mushroom soup plus a heap of fresh veggies. I made the mushroom soup from scratch, but followed her technique. It wasn't as gooey amazing as hers, since i failed to thicken my sauce until it was a bit late, but the flavor was devine and we had to try very hard not to lick the entire cookie sheet while it was still hot. This is NOT a greasy, pan fried beef dish, nor is this the salisbury steak found in frozen TV dinners. Shove in as many fresh veggies as you like, use bread, breadcrumbs or oats and enjoy this meal with some veggies and maybe a potato. You will not be disapointed.

Salisbury Steak

• 1 pound grass fed beef hamburger
• 1-2 onions, finely diced
• 1-5 garlic cloves, finely diced
• Optional green pepper, hot pepper, roasted pepper etc
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 egg
• salt, pepper, seasonings to taste 

for the sauce:

• A whole mess of mushrooms, chopped (i used wild porcinis)
• diced garlic
• pinch mustard powder
• pinch dried rosemary
• pinch dried sage
• salt and pepper
• rich chicken, turkey, veggie or beef stock- enough to fill the pan
• splash cornstarch/cold water slurry

In a large bowl combine the chopped veggies, oats, egg and beef etc and squish around with your hands until well combined. You may wish to add a sprinkling of flour to help it stick together. Form mixture into little patties and arrange on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add all the chopped mushrooms and some butter into a pan with the herbs and spices. Add a pinch of flour and mix well. Cover with stock and bring to a rigorous boil. Boil for a smidge then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until sauce has reduced by at least a third. Add the cornstarch slurry, stir and reduce heat to low. Pour some of the sauce over the patties and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Serve topped with more sauce along side with maybe some peas and a potato. Be sure you make enough sauce to slather on everything, including a spoon in your mouth. It's so good! 

My salisbury steaks were a definite success, but i think i'll still clamour at mom to make her version.

Do you have a special 'mommy made' recipe you beg for when you see her?