Beef Stew. It's good for the soul. And the belly.

So the other day, I was on my way over to a friends so we could go grab lunch. It was a beautiful, sunny day. So, armed with my trendy new sunglasses, off I went. That is, until I stepped out the front door to my apartment building, and my nose promptly froze off. You see, here in the Southern Hemisphere, it is winter. I know, I know. Winter in Australia. That's some sort of joke, right? I swear it's not, though! We have seasons here! Two of them! Hot and cold. No, really! It is cold! It was a very brisk 13ºC! Freezing!

So, one of the things that I really love about this cooler weather is that I get to start making my hearty winter foods. I love a good hearty meal. You know the kind; the type where all you want to do after eating is to curl up on the couch and go to sleep. Love that! So, with winter in full swing here in Sydney, I knew exactly what was called for to help fight off the winter chills. Beef Stew. Yummers. 

So, armed with my basket, it was off to the grocers to get everything for the stew. One of the things that I absolutely love about making a stew is the fact that you can change up all the ingredients as you see fit. I don't even use measurements when I make this stew, I just wing it. Makes it more fun that way, I think.

So, after picking out what I deemed to be needed for my stew that day, it was back home to start cooking. Now, I have said before that I often take pointers from other chefs and various recipes that I read. This is no exception. The idea for using beer came from Ree, the Pioneer Woman (google her, she kind of rocks!). I got the hint for allspice from Paula Deen. And almost every recipe I have read has suggested a bit of sugar. I just like to mess with things. Ree used Budwiser (ew, sorry. Not in my house, even if I could find it in Sydney) so I chose to use a really great dark Wheat Beer (my personal favorite type of beer is a Wheat Beer). And now I will let you in on my secret ingredient. See up there, next to the massive pile of carrots? Yeah, that's Chorizo. It packs such an amazing flavor into this stew. So, I grabbed a huge pot, and started on my stew by, as always, browning the meat in some olive oil. Want to know something about browning the meat? You don't have to caramelize it, like I used to think you did. Really, you just have to let it turn brown. Simple, huh?

So while the meat's doing its thing, take advantage of that time. Really, you don't have to do much to the meat, just turn it over a few times. So, chop up some onions. And garlic. Really, these two ingredients are like the holy grail of any stew. Such great flavors!

So, meat browned. In went the onions and garlic, right into the same oil. Don't throw it out! It's called flavor! Seriously! 

The next step is my secret ingredient of Chorizo. The reason for adding this now is very simple. Chorizo packs an immense amount of flavor and spices. It's what makes it so freakin tasty! And we want tasty stew, right? So, chuck it in and let it sweat out all of that tastiness for a little while. Good move, I promise!

Next up, it was time for my favorite ingredient. Beer! Hooray beer! Naturally, I poured it right in. Right after I had a few sips to make sure it tasted alright. I mean, to check for freshness. Right. Freshness. Totally what I was doing...

Of course, this is also the point where you add the majority of your other ingredients to the stew. And really, I am totally serious when I say I don't measure a thing. Just chuck it in there (in my recipe at the end, I did add measurements. Use these as guidelines. I pretty much guessed.) Now, I took this great picture of the fresh herbs being thrown in. Here is a handy tip. Don't do this. You are going to want to use a herb sock of some sort. I had to spend about 10 minutes pulling out massive amounts of rosemary clumps at the end. Not that some are a bad thing, just... well, no one wants to have a heaping spoonful of beef stew that is mostly just rosemary leaves. You want all the flavor, just not all the needles. Trust me on this; you will thank me later. Unless pulling out spoonfuls of rosemary leaves is totally your thing. In that case, go right ahead as I did.

Of course, beef stew is not just beef and liquid. You have to have some vegetables in there. Makes ya feel all healthy and stuff. Also, potatoes. I adore potatoes in a stew; no, really. I do. Ask JP. I usually steal his when he isn't looking.

So, after about an hour and a half or so, time for all the vegetables to join the group. Throw em all in to the pot, and cover it back up. I swear, this is just such an easy thing to make.

After another 30-45 minutes, things should be looking good. See? Now, this might be one of my favorite things about making a stew. You never know how long it will take for the vegetables to be ready. You just have to keep checking them. And, by checking them, I really mean eating some. It's a cooks right. 

So, this next step. This is a big one. Probably the most important out of any of them. Call some friends. Tell them about your stew. Then, have them over for some. Serve in big heaps in bowls. Your friends will thank you. I promise. Mine did, at least.

xoxo Craig

Keep reading for my recipe

Beef Stew

What you need:

• 1 kg of beef, cubed (about 2lbs)
• 2 links chorizo, chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 celery, roughly chopped
• 4 red potatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 package brown mushrooms, halved
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1large dark beer
• 6 cups of beef stock, reserve 2 cups until end
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons tobasco
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 bunch rosemary, tied
• 1 bunch thyme, tied
• 2 bay leaves
• olive oil
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons flour

It is very important to note that with this recipe, I do not measure. I feel that beef stew is one of those dinners best made 'off the cuff.' Change up the vegetables, amounts, flavors, whatever. Tailor it to your personal tastes. That's what makes it so much fun.

The important things to note are this: Brown your meat first. Sauté your garlic and onions before adding the liquid. Use enough stock to allow for reduction. add your veggies last (and, make sure they are large chunks) when there is only about 30-45 minutes left to cook. Add your spices when you add the initial liquids. So, with that in mind, here is how I made the above stew.

In a large pot over high heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the beef in batches and allow it to brown. Remove the beef, and set it aside. To the same pot, add the onions, garlic and chorizo. Allow to sauté until just translucent. Add the 4 cups of beef stock, and stir to deglaze the pot. Then add the entire beer. Stir in the allspice, paprika, worcestershire, salt, pepper, tomato paste, tobasco and sugar. Add the entire bunch of rosemary and thyme, as well as the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium, medium low to allow for a simmer. Allow for the stew to simmer for 1-1.5 hours. Add the veggies and the extra beef stock. Continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

To thicken the sauce, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Add 2-3 ladlefuls of the sauce to the roux. Mix until very smooth, then return to the large pot and stir in.

Serve with crusty bread and friends.