Autumn Beef Stew

 

As the air turns crisp and the trees paint the world in shades of gold, amber and russet, there's nothing more comforting than a pot of stew simmering slowly on the stove. Autumn invites us back into the kitchen, to stir, to taste, to sling herbs and gather around the table. At the heart of this season's comfort food is the classic beef stew - rich, hearty and soul warming. Every Fall season, beef stew is one of many dishes that simmers on the stove as we break bread and dip it into a thick, velvet home-made gravy that has you coming back for more.

Ingredients

2 lb. stewing beef, trimmed and cubed

2 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 (small) bag baby red bliss potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half

4 carrots, peeled, cut into rounds

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, cut into strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

A pinch of Red Pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

2 Sprigs of Thyme

2 pat butter

1/2 cup Fresh Apple Cider

2 cups water

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Trim and cube stewing beef. Add beef to a bowl and dust with flour. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Put aside.

2. In a dutch oven or pot, heat olive oil on medium - low. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Add butter and floured stew meat to the pot. Sear meat on all sides leaving the middle rare - add apple cider and scrape the good stuff from the bottom of the pot making a rue. Add water and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir thoroughly. Make sure meat and vegetables are NOT submerged in liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until meat and vegetables are tender.

4. From the pot, pour about a cup of the liquid into a bowl. Add cornstarch and stir vigorously. You can add flour, but find that cornstarch leaves a more velvet texture. Add liquid back into the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5. When stew is done, discard bay leaves and thyme. Serve stew over egg noodles or rice. Dip bread in the gravy. Enjoy!

Apple Cider VS: Apple Juice:

The difference between Apple Cider and Apple Juice is that Apple Cider is unfiltered and unpasteurized while apple juice is thoroughly filtered and pasteurized. Apple Cider contains more apple solids for a robust flavor and tends to be richer and thicker in consistency as apple juice is watered down.

Enjoy!