Classic Dishes

I read an article about

 6 Classics Dishes Everyone Should Know How to Make.

The article calls the 6 dishes comfort food and proclaims every beginner should know how to make them.  So, I am going to look at these 6 dishes in the next few weeks and give you their recipe and also my take on the dish.  

Here are the Six Dishes:                                                             

     Chicken Noodle Soup

     Roast Chicken

     Beef Stew

     Meat Lasagna

     Chili

     Chocolate Cake

     

     

Today I Take on Beef Stew

The article uses a recipe from Rachel Ray Magazine and you can view it here.

My recipe, does not require browning beef cubes which is very time consuming.  I use a 3 lb piece of chuck and brown the entire piece at once.  

Using a technique I learned from Mark Bittman, heat your pot without oil and add the meat to the very hot pot to brown.  Allow the meat to brown for several minutes before you flip to the other side.  The benefit of no oil is very little splatter on the stove area and less added fat.  I'm a fan of both of those ideas.

The meat is moved from the pot and all the vegetables are briefly sauted in the pot prior to adding the wine and tomatoes.

Place the meat back in the pot and place the pot in a very low oven for at least 4 hours.  

I had the pot in a 275 degree F oven for 6 hours yesterday.

This is the result, a very hearty, tender, comforting meal that is quicker and less messy to make than traditional beef stew.  There are no potatoes in this dish.  I served the beef over gnocchi but equally good with penne pasta, mashed potatoes or polenta.

Recipe:

3 lb chuck roast

2 large onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices

5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 lb mushrooms of your choice, thickly sliced

3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

28 oz can whole tomatoes with their juice

2 cups dry red wine

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Heat a heavy, large pot on the cooktop.  When quite hot, add beef, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Turn heat to medium-high.  Allow to brown and then turn and brown all sides.  Remove beef to plate and set aside.

Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and oregano to the pot and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes to pot, breaking up whole tomatoes with a spoon.  Pour in 2 cups of wine and season with red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper.

Cover pot and move to oven and braise for about 4 hours or until fork-tender.

Serve over pasta, gnocchi, polenta or mashed potatoes.  This recipe is based on a Martha Stewart recipe that you can view here.

What is your beef comfort dish?

Do you agree with the 6 classic dishes?

Please leave a comment...thanks!