Humble Cold-Weather Beef Stew
A humble cold-weather beef stew that’s hearty and comforting becomes suddenly sexy when made with dark chocolate and port wine.
Hearty and Comforting Beef Stew
When cold weather sets in, there’s nothing better than a hearty and comforting beef stew in the oven or slow cooker to cozy up the house. It can set the tone for a weekend of relaxation.
Why? Because who doesn’t love the whole idea of any meal that pretty much cooks up all by itself?
Beef Stew Ingredients:
So I always keep essential stew ingredients on hand during the winter for meals when it’s cold and freezing. Foods like root vegetables and meats for making when I feel more like relaxing than spending time in the kitchen.
For instance, I always ensure that my fridge is stocked with vegetables that add essential flavors like carrots, celery, and onions. That good potatoes are on hand. Beef broth and canned tomatoes are in the pantry, and a lean top sirloin roast or beef stew meat is available in the freezer. And for this recipe, when you add the unlikely ingredients of dark chocolate and port wine — this stew becomes an even more flavorful, comforting, and filling, warm dinner!
‘Nuff said!
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Chocolate & Port Beef Stew
Equipment
- Heavy oven-rated deep Pot
- Foil-lined Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Meat
- 1 pound lean Top Sirloin Roast or Beef Stew meat cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose Flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper
For the Vegetables
To Make the Stew
- 1 medium Yellow Onion
- 2 Celery Stalks thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Port Wine of your choice*
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 14- ounce can Tomatoes with juices
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1-2 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate*
- 1 ½ tablespoons Pepitas to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500ºF. Prepare the meat and scrub the vegetables, cutting off any bad spots.
For the Meat
- Salt the beef, and place it into the heavy Pot with the butter. Roast uncovered on the upper-middle rack until browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the oven, add the gluten-free all-purpose flour, stir to coat, then transfer the beef to a bowl.
For the Vegetables
- Prepare the vegetables in bite-sized dice and spread out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast on the bottom rack, uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
To Make the Stew
- Using the same Pot from the meat, add the onion, celery, and garlic, cooking over medium-high heat on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes. Deglaze the Pot by adding the port wine, using a spoon to scrape and remove any browned bits from the bottom. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and salt. Return the meat to the Pot. Bring the stew to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beef is very tender (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally.
- About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, transfer the roasted vegetables to the Pot. Continue to simmer stew with the lid on until the veggies are easily pierced with a fork. When the veggies are tender, stir in the chocolate to taste until melted.
- Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as desired. The stew should be thick and richly colored. To make it soupier, add more beef broth until the desired consistency is reached.
To Serve
- Serve plain or spoon on cooked rice, polenta, or noodles. Garnish with Pepitas for a dash of color.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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(Nutritional values are an approximation. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.)
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