Month Long Special - Beef Stew (Overnight)

This month we are sharing four recipes on how to make Beef Stew. There are a million and one ways, some take a lot of prep, some take a lot of time and attention and some are just easier than others. So we will share a recipe each week to make beef stew and whichever fits your schedule is perfectly fine.

Today we are sharing the Long Beef Stew. This one takes time to make but is the best way to go about it. But not all of us have time to make this one. The next recipes are going to be shorter and easier so stay tuned for those.

This one starts with the beef, you want the best cut of beef you can get, tenderloin or something like that, a rump roast even is good. And we are going to start by marinading it. So in a dish, large enough to fit your roast you want to add some beef bouillon to some red wine. (So just follow the instructions on the bouillon, substituting water with wine.) Then you can add the herbs, Thyme and Oregano go well here, some Salt and Pepper also. You want to let the meat sit overnight in this liquid and flip it occasionally unless the whole roast is sitting covered in liquid.

The next morning (the day after you make the mixture), you will want to make your broth. Again this is the ultimate version so we are going to make our own broth from scratch but you can always buy one and make some changes. We are going to start by boiling beef bones (ask your local butcher for this or some large grocery stores may have them also) in a large pot of water. You can add whatever you like to this pot we go with onions, carrots, celery (and you don't have to do anything fancy with them just make them small enough to fit the pot). You also want to throw in a bundle of herbs, you can simply tie a string around them and throw it into the pot. We enjoy Thyme and Oregano, but Bay leaves and Sage would be great additions also. Whatever you enjoy and think would pair well with the wine you have chosen.

You want to simmer this broth for up to 2 hours making sure to get all the goodness out of the bones. You will notice the water will change colours and should get much deeper in colour. Once you are satisfied with your broth, strain it into the crockpot (you will want to take the pot out of the base for this). Make sure to get all the bones, vegetables and herbs out so that all you are left with is the liquid. Now is the time to taste test the broth. If you find it doesn't have much beef flavour, you can add bouillon to it and also you can add any seasoning you feel is missing (salt, pepper, etc). Once it is perfect you want to add one large or two medium yellow onions (chopped).

Now is time to add the roast. You don't need to drain the liquid, but you want to grab the roast and transfer it to the crockpot (you can empty the juices now - do not add to the crockpot). We are cooking in stages here so the roast will go in on low for a total of 6 hours (Beef should be cooked to 145 degrees internally). The first hour you want to baste the meat every 15 minutes. After that, you will baste every half hour. (If you see that the meat is still drying out, even with the basting, flip meat halfway). (NOTE: If the liquid in the crockpot covers the meat completely, basting is not needed).

At the two hour mark, you want to add your potatoes. We used small potatoes and cut them into eighths. So down the middle once, then down the middle of each half, and then down the middle again of each quarter (if you find your crockpot runs high you can choose to leave them in larger chunks).

At the 4 hour mark (once the potatoes have been in for two hours) you want to add the carrots. Baby carrots work perfectly fine and can be cut in half to bite-sized pieces. However, we recommend large carrots especially when they are in season. Simply peel (or even just wash them) and chop them into bite-size rounds (or half rounds depending on the size of the carrot). That is all we add into our beef stew if you are adding any other vegetables (peas for example), standard cook times for the crockpot will apply. (NOTE: once everything is cooked, the juice will be used to make a gravy so you do not want anything to mush up the liquid or to cause more work when draining.)

With about twenty minutes left on your beef, you can start by browning the flour. For a thicker gravy, the ratio is 2 tbsp of flour to 1 cup of liquid. You will multiply according to how much broth you have left. (For an easier and more precise idea, you can always drain the liquid from the crockpot into a measuring cup but that isn't necessary. - CAUTION, if you do end up wanting to measure your liquid, this will be extremely hot.) You want to brown the flower on low or medium-low, you will know your flour is brown by the nutty scent it gives off and the colour change.

Once the six hours is up, you will want to check your beef with a meat thermometer. As stated above beef must be cooked to 145 degrees or higher (internally) to be safe to eat. Once you hit that number, the cook of your beef is a personal preference. Some do enjoy it with pink while others do not. (You can always cut into the beef to see what colour the inside is, if you do this please let the beef rest first.)

Once the beef has rested, cut into cubes. (We make half-inch slices and then cut those into half-inch cubes, but anything that is bite-sized is fine.) Add the beef to a bowl, along with the potatoes and carrots (a slotted spoon will help get this out of the pot without bringing over too much liquid.

At this stage again, you want to taste the broth. If it tastes close to what you originally started with you can go ahead and start your gravy. (Note that the gravy relies on the broth for flavour.) Now you want to slowly add your browned flour a little at a time to the broth, making sure to whisk as you go. Once everything is worked in you can continue to add more flour. Continue this process until your gravy is to your liking. (Season accordingly once done.)

Once the gravy is finished, throw your meat and vegetables back in the crockpot and stir, making sure to coat everything in that delicious beef gravy. Let everything warm through and serve.