beef and veggie stew

As the weather has gotten colder (here in socal, we were still in the pool come november); meals are turning from grilled salads to hearty one pot meals. Soups, stews, one pot meals, slow roasting, etc.

I threw together this beef and veggie stew last week for a yummy sunday supper. It’s perfect for the weekend, since stew meat requires a low slow braise to make it super tender, and football sundays are made for lazy days at home.

Serve it with some crusty, buttery bread on the side— perfect to sop up all the extra liquid— and you’ve got the perfect cold weather meal.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp evoo

2 lbs stew meat

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp trader joe’s onion salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, sliced

6 ribs of celery, sliced

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1 carton crimini mushrooms, cut in fourths

2 cups chopped green beans

4 cups chicken stock

4 cans of V8

Directions:

On high heat, add evoo to a large dutch oven. Heat until shimmery. Season beef with salt, pepper, and trader joe’s onion salt.

Add beef in batches, turning to brown each side. Remove from pan and continue process until all beef has been browned and removed from pan.

Turn heat to low and add onions and garlic to pan, stirring to pick up all the brown bits. Sauté until onions slightly opaque, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Add meat and any collected juices back into pan.

Add chicken stock and V8 (my not so secret ingredient, discovered by chance when I had no tomato sauce, paste or tomatoes on hand— and continued to use, because the flavor is that good). Bring to a boil.

Turn down to simmer. Cover, and leave for two hours.

Remove lid and add vegetables. Bring back to a boil.

Once boiling, turn down to low, and let simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes, until vegetables are softened.

Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and/or pepper if needed.