Ingredients
The following ingredients have 5 Servings
- 3 pounds beef chuck
- well trimmed
- cut into 2-2 ½-inch large cubes
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or safflower oil
- 6 slices meaty bacon
- chopped ½ inch
- 2 onions
- chopped
- 2 ribs celery
- chopped
- 1 carrot
- chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- crushed
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 bundle thyme and sage
- a small handful of each
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- a palmful
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- ⅔ palmful
- About ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- About ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons sundried tomato paste or tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups lager beer
- 12 ounces
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 ¼-1 ½ pounds butternut squash
- peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (the large neck of a squash
- save the bottom for another meal)
- 2 large or 3 medium Russet potatoes (about 1 ¼ pounds)
- peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Instruction
- Preheat oven to 325˚F with rack 1 rung below center
- Let meat stand at room temp 15-20 minutes, then pat dry
- Season the flour liberally with salt and pepper
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, brown and remove bacon
- Brown meat dredged lightly in seasoned flour in the drippings and remove to plate
- Brown in 2 batches so as not to crowd the pan and add more oil if necessary for the second round
- Add onions, celery, carrot, garlic, bay, thyme and sage bundle, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, allspice and nutmeg, then partially cover and sweat vegetables 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add sundried tomato paste and Worcestershire and stir 1 minute
- Add beer and reduce a minute or so while scraping up the fond and drippings in pot
- Add stock, beef and bacon, then cover and transfer to oven 90 minutes
- Add squash and potatoes to stew and return to oven 30 minutes longer
- Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves and serve in shallow bowls
