Beef Stew

Ingredients:

8 slices of bacon
2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
salt & pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
3 leeks, chopped and well rinsed (use the white part and an inch or two of the green)
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch julienne
2 turnips, peeled and cut into pieces
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 1/2 cups of homemade beef stock
2 1/2 cups of red wine (preferable Burgundy, but drinkable)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of red currant jelly
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cups of pearl onions, red or white
8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced (wild mushrooms if available)
8 - 10 red new potatoes, quartered
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Step 1:

Chop the onion by first cutting in half, so the root is on each half.

Now slice this way, it is really easy to dice onions this way.

Step 2:

Get you leeks and use all the white part and 2 inches of the green. Chop.

Step 3:

After that rinse very well. The way a leak grows it leaves sand and dirt between the layers.

Step 4:

Cut the carrots in to 1.5" jullien pieces.

Step 5:

Peal the turnips. Cube the Turnips.

Step 6:

Wash and quarter the taters.

Step 7:

Boil the pearl onions for 5 minutes and then peal. If you squeeze from the top in a pinching motion they tend to pop right out. Then pinch off the root.

Step 8:

Prep work on veggies done. I didn't show the garlic, thyme, or parsley prep, but that is easy enough.

Step 9:

Also I bought precut and washed baby ports.

Step 10:

2.6 pounds of sirloin tip. Was cheaper than chuck roast. 1" (ish) cubes.

Step 11:

Cook the 8 slices of bacon and reserve half the grease in another container.

Step 12:

Cook the steak in two sessions to avoid overloading the pan, season with salt and pepper. On the second go around use the reserved bacon grease.

Step 13:

Throw the beef and bacon in your stock pot. I had to run and by one as my dutch oven was too small for this recipe.

Step 14:

Add the turnips, onion, leeks, carrots, and sugar to the pan. Cook med-hi for 8 min. Set aside.

Step 15:

Melt butter in the same pan.

Step 16:

Sautee the mushrooms. Set aside with the other veggies.

Step 17:

Combine wine, stock (I used broth as I couldn't find stock), tomato paste, jelly, and thyme (I used dry as I couldn't get fresh) I also added two bay leaves (not in recipe). Cook for a couple of mins.

Step 18:

Pour liquid over meat, add potatoes and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer for 45 minutes.

Step 19:

The reserve veggies, turnips, onion, leeks, carrots, mushrooms, pearl onions, and parsely.

Step 20:

Add reserves to pot after 45 min simmer is done. Simmer for another 30-45min.

This beef stew is amazingly delicious. I recommend it to everyone!