Old-Fashioned Beef Stew will warm you from the inside out

Cooler temperatures mean it’s time for soups and stews. There’s nothing like a hearty beef stew to warm you from the inside out on a chilly day — especially if you eat it with a hunk of crusty bread. It’s like a big hug.

Today’s recipe for Old-Fashioned Beef Stew is from the New York Times food section, and it has all the traditional ingredients: beef stew meat cooked low and slow to make it tender, red wine for flavor, beef broth, bay leaves, onion, carrots and potatoes. The only thing wrong I see in this recipe is that it’s made with one pound of stew meat. The whole fun in making stew is the leftovers, so I recommend doubling this one. Stew seems to be even better when it’s leftover.

I recommend serving this beef stew along with an arugula salad. The spiciness of the greens with a slightly sweet vinaigrette will leave your taste buds satisfied. And with all the leftovers, you’ll get to savor the stew for a couple more meals.

Cheers to cold weather cooking!

How to make Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss beef pieces with flour and pepper. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Cook the beef a few pieces at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pot.

Remove the cooked beef and deglaze the pot with the vinegar and wine. Add the beef back after several minutes, and add the bay leaves and beef broth. Cover and reduce to a simmer.

Continue cooking about 90 minutes, skimming the fat occasionally. Add onions and carrots and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Add chopped potatoes and simmer about 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

— New York Times