Thursday 2 April 2009

Left Over Beef Stew



Well I made a small mistake on this one, not to be repeated, so I am owning up as to prove that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. I made this stew with red skin potatoes with the skin, thinking more flavour and more roughage but I ended up with quite rough red skins well noticeable in my velvety stew, I now know not to use skin on potatoes in stew unless using new potatoes where the skin is so thin that is bearably noticeable (especially when I used old potatoes).
Everything apart from the beef in this stew was old and nearly going off, but it turned out one of the best stews I made so far, I can only assume this being due to the vast variety of veg that went in, the beef was braising steak cut into pieces.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)
  • 400grs braising steak (diced)
  • 50grs pancetta (or smoked bacon)
  • 500grs red skin potatoes (cubed) please remove skin unless they are new potatoes
  • 1pkt mushrooms brown cap (halved and quartered depending on size)
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced) + a pinch of garlic powder
  • 6 spring onions (sliced)
  • 1 celery heart (sliced)
  • 3 carrots (sliced)
  • 1pkt mangetout (cut into three parts)
  • 1 pepper (diced)
  • 1 chilli (chopped) 1 a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tin plum tomatoes (chopped)
  • 2 spoons of tomato paste (diluted in half glass of water)
  • a pinch of paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil to taste
Very simple to make so is short and sweet. Put a pan on the stove with a little olive oil, once hot add the garlic, onion, chillies, (both) pancetta, salt and black pepper. Let these cook until the onions and pancetta are starting to go golden add the beef and stirring it occasionally until is sealed (you know this as should go brown all around), then add chopped tomatoes, put a lid on and let it cook for around 40 minutes on lowest of heat, then add the tomato paste and all the rest of the stuff you have left celery, potato, carrots, pepper , spring onion, mangetout, mushroom and paprika. Put the lid back on and let this now cook for around 25 minutes. Optionally at the end you may add some flat leave parsley. And that is it ready to eat.

The mushrooms were crinkly, the celery limp, potatoes were starting to grow roots, carrots had whiskers, garlic little sprouts, mangetout limp and so on this was the state of my veg as if I didn't use it would go to be compost, I am glad I did use it as it made one of the best tasting meals I ever ate (well made by me) I am in no way suggesting you use veg like these you can use fresh veg I am sure the result will be the same or better, I am only asking that you think before you throw anything away...As there are millions of people in the world starving that would eat those thing that you, me would throw away, lets not then. Thanks for reading. hope you enjoy this post.



12 comments:

Donna-FFW said...

Have to say I admire that you throw nothing away.. It looks like a fantastic stew, very comforting, and I will remember your hint about potato skins!! Great post!

Rico said...

Cheers Donna, I really appreciate your opinion as you are a great cook, and have a great sense of humour...yeah don't forget the tip about the skins hehe. thx 4 comment and visit. :)

Anonymous said...

The stew looks very good! I like the red potatoes with skins when they are roasted but otherwise it's definitely a good idea to peel them (but it is very tedious!)

Rico said...

I agree immensely as I found out, I knew the skins on roasted where really nice as they are thick and crisp up nicely, I feel was a little dumb of me not peeling them for the stew. Ah well live and learn!! Thx for visit and lovely comment. :D xx

Nicole said...

Rico,
Great looking stew! Yum, I love stew! Question..what is Mangetout?
Don't know that we have that over here, either that, or it is called something else..Cheers! Nicole

Rico said...

Well Nicole, thanks for comment and visit. Also mangetout is a sweet green bean quite short in size and fairly flat is identical in shape and size to the sugarsnap, just the sugarsnap is fuller as is a pea pod not a bean pod.
Picture here:
http://www.jungleseeds.com/images/Mangetout.jpg

Unknown said...

Looks great,well done,beijocas doces Alexis.

Rico said...

Thank you greatly Alexandra, cheers !! xxx

Kim said...

Beef stew gets better the day after anyways!!! :D

Rico said...

Yup, that is correct too of stews and hot pots. Cheers my dear. :) xx

Christelle said...

Oh I do love a good stew :))

Rico said...

You got me :) hehe on this one I did plop a lot of nearly out of date stuff together, to make the dish and it turned out really good... thanks for visit and comment. :) xxx

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