GARLIC BEEF STEW

INTRODUCTION

This hearty stew hails from Catalonia, Spain. It is a favourite stew for winter months.

Long cooking of whole cloves of garlic dramatically softens their taste - all harshness vanishes and the aftertaste becomes rounded and quite sweet.

In Spain, meats with sauces are generally served in their own individual casserole dishes with no accompaniment: Spaniards rely on the first course to provide them with vegetables and use bread to absorb the sauce. It is a good rule of thumb for this dish, though baked yams or mashed potatoes also make an excellent accompaniment.

Partner with a well rounded red wine

INGREDIENTS

1 kilo (2.2.lbs) rump steak/good quality stewing steak

1 medium sized red onion

1/2 small carrot

1/2 stick of celery

20 - 30 leaves of flat-leafed parsley

2 - 3 Tablespoons of best quality Olive Oil

3 - 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 or more large heads of garlic

flour for lightly dusting the cubed meat

1 1/2 - 2 cups of red wine

a little water, if required

2 whole cloves

fine sea salt

freshly milled pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the onion, wash and/or scrap the carrot and celery stick and coarsely chop. Add the parsley leaves and using a mezzaluna finely chop. This is the battuto/mire-pois.

Heat the oil (best quality) in a heavy based pan over a low to medium heat. Add the battuto/mire-pois and stir well. Cook for five or six minutes until translucent, stirring from time to time. Towards the end of the frying add the thyme and stir well.

Peel the garlic and leave whole. Use only large cloves - if needs be use the larger cloves from 2 heads of garlic. Add the whole cloves to the pan and gently fry for a couple of minutes, stirring as required. Meanwhile, remove any fat from the beef and cut into cubes (about 3 by 2 by 2cm or 1¼ by ¾ by ¾ inches).

Place the meat in a colander and drench with flour over the sink. Turn the cubes to ensure an even, light coating and shake off all excess flour.

When the battuto/mire-pois is translucent, remove any excess oil, add the beef cubes lightly coated in flour and brown well on all sides. Add up to 2 cups of red wine (to almost cover the meat), stir well to remove any encrustations of flour/beef which may have caught and add the seasoning - the 2 whole cloves, fine sea salt and freshly milled pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and part cover. Cook for circa 2 hours or until the meat is tender. From time to time check there is sufficient cooking liquid. If the stew is becoming dry or is 'catching', add a little water and stir well.

Circa 10 - 15 minutes before the end of the cooking period, start stirring. With a wooden spoon stir the entire dish regularly until the meat is tender and the sauce clings to the meat. Be gentle but effective when stirring to avoid bruising the whole cloves of garlic.

Taste for seasoning and amend if necessary. Place in a serving dish and serve immediately.

COMMENTS

    Use large cloves of garlic - if needs use more than one head of garlic. Small cloves disintegrate during the cooking process. If you are a garlic fan use more than the equivalent of one head. The long cooking process softens and “sweetens” the garlic. “Stir and stir again” are the watch words for this dish - stirring at regular intervals and altering the position of the lid between closed, part covered, barely covered to uncovered is essential for success. Continual stirring is required near the end of the cooking process to ensure the sauce amalgamates well.

    If you have a riser, once the pan has been brought to a boil place the riser over the hot plate, reduce to a simmer, leave the lid of the pan slightly ajar and slowly cook for up to 1¾ hours, checking the progress of the cooking from time to time. Then, circa 10 - 15 minutes before the end of the cooking period, start to stir. This is the cheat's way of making a stew and only works if you cook over gas. The riser slows down the cooking process and obviates the need to alter the position of the lid of the pan on a regular basis. Get to know how your riser alters the cooking process and enjoy more hands-free cooking! Increasingly we find a riser essential for cooking all stews and some curries, especially pork curries. It is, of course, indispensable if you wish to make good coffee using the hotplate and an old fashioned espresso pot.