Modern Beef Stew

Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated

Serves 6-8

1(4-lb) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces, scraps reserved

Salt and pepper

6 oz salt pork, cut into ¼-inch pieces

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed, halved if medium or quartered if large

1½ cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups beef broth

1 (750-ml) bottle red Burgundy or Pinot Noir

5 tsp unflavored gelatin

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp anchovy paste

2 onions, chopped coarse

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

1 garlic head, cloves separated, unpeeled, and crushed

2 bay leaves

½ tsp black peppercorns

½ oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed

10 sprigs fresh parsley, plus 3 tablespoons minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Toss beef and 1½ teaspoons salt together in bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 500 degrees. Place salt pork, beef scraps, and 2 tablespoons butter in large roasting pan. Roast on lower-middle rack until well browned and fat has rendered, 15 to 20 minutes.

While salt pork and beef scraps roast, toss cremini mushrooms, pearl onions, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and sugar together on rimmed baking sheet. Roast on lowest rack, stirring occasionally, until moisture released by mushrooms evaporates and vegetables are lightly glazed, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large bowl, cover, and refrigerate.

Remove roasting pan from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Sprinkle flour over rendered fat and whisk until no dry flour remains. Whisk in broth, 2 cups wine, gelatin, tomato paste, and anchovy paste until combined. Add onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, porcini mushrooms, parsley sprigs, and thyme to pan. Arrange beef in single layer on top of vegetables. Add water as needed to come three-quarters up side of beef (beef should not be submerged). Return roasting pan to oven and cook until meat is tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, stirring after 90 minutes and adding water to keep meat at least half-submerged.

By this point, your entire family will be hovering in the kitchen, or in my family’s case, attempting to lick the oven door.

Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl with cremini mushrooms and pearl onions; cover and set aside. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stir in remaining wine and let cooking liquid settle, 10 minutes. Using wide shallow spoon, skim fat off surface and discard.

Transfer liquid to Dutch oven and bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened to consistency of heavy cream, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in beef and mushroom-onion garnish, cover, and cook until just heated through, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in minced parsley and serve. (Stew can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Dive in!

Lemony Chicken Burgers

Adapted from Suzanne Somers’ Eat, Cheat, and Melt the Fat Away

Serves 4 (6 if you serve them on a roll)        

1 pound ground chicken

½ large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground caraway seed (optional – you can substitute dill, ground cumin seed or fennel seed)

1¾ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Peanut oil for frying

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Mix all the ingredients except peanut oil and lemon wedges in a bowl. Form the chicken mixture into 6 patties.

Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties for 5-6 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown. (Drain on a paper towel if desired.) Serve with lemon wedges.

Stir-Fried Beef with Tangerines, Green Beans, and Chiles

Courtesy of Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen

Serves 6

Marinade

1 egg white

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1 tbsp cornstarch

Sea salt and ground white pepper

1 lb boneless beef top round, sliced paper-thin against the grain

3 cups peanut oil

1 tangerine, unpeeled, sliced in paper-thin circles

2 tbsp cornstarch

1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 green onions, minced

4 dried red chiles

¾ lb green beans, halved on the bias

¼ cup Chicken Stock

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or balsamic

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, sesame oil, five spice powder, and cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. Add the beef, toss to coat in the marinade, and stick it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In the meantime …

Pour the peanut oil into a wok (or large sauté pan) and place over high heat. Heat the oil to 350°; this will take about 15 minutes. Toss the tangerine slices with 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. When the oil is smoking hot, quickly fry the tangerine slices for about 4 minutes. Frying the tangerine first removes the bitterness from the skin and the slices become crispy so you can eat them whole. Carefully remove the tangerine slices with a strainer to drain on a paper-towel-lined platter; their shape should remain intact.

Bring the oil back up to the smoking point and add half of the beef. (If you fry all the meat at once the oil temperature will drop and the beef will stew instead of crisp.) Fry for 2 minutes and then remove to a paper towel to drain; repeat with the remaining beef. Very carefully drain all but ¼ cup of the hot oil into a heat-proof container. Stir-fry the ginger, garlic, green onions, and chiles in the remaining oil until they perfume. Add the green beans; season with salt and pepper. Mix the chicken stock with the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch and add it to the wok. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Simmer until the sauce is thick and the beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Return the beef and tangerines to the pan and coat. Scatter the sesame seeds on top. Serve with steamed rice.