More stew and soup! I just can’t help myself. Until December, it’s probably going to mostly be soup/stew and dessert over here. It just feels right. I’m even thinking I should photograph a pumpkin curry I made, which is essentially stewed chicken. We’re about to get another couple of days of heavy, heavy rain in Portland and this type of food just warms me up.
This dish is really just a simplified version of an Italian dish called ossobuco, but I didn’t feel okay outright calling it that because I definitely made some major changes. To start, I didn’t use veal shanks, I used chuck roast. I also used red wine instead of white because white wine in a beef stew just feels wrong. I know that there’s for sure a totally legit reason to use white, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not to mention the only white wine I had on hand was a great South African Chenin Blanc and that stuff is going into my face straight, not in the form of a stew.
Have you ever made a gremolata? It’s traditionally paired with this dish right here, but it’s a great way to brighten up plenty of other meat dishes. It consists of citrus zest + chopped fresh herb + minced raw garlic. I’m sure you understand it’s appeal from that short description alone.
This can be done completely on the stove top or stove top + crock pot. The only thing I’m really going to insist you do on the stove top is brown the meat and then deglaze your pan. If you’re going to be at home for a few hours, just make the whole thing in a dutch oven or heavy stock pot.
We ate ours over mashed potatoes, but it would be great over polenta, rice, even couscous. Or just go ahead and eat it by itself! Just please don’t skip the gremolata. It’s what makes this dish special instead of just your run of the mill beef stew.
Get the Recipe:
Beef Stew with Orange Gremolata
Ingredients
Stew:
- 1 pound chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
- 3 celery hearts, diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 14 oz can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 5 springs thyme
Gremolata:
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a gallon sized ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the cubed beef and toss to coat.
- In a large, heavy bottomed stockpot or dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches to brown on all sides. Remove to a plate to catch its juices.
- If using a slow cooker, add the red wine to the stockpot and scrape the sides. Pour the wine and bits into the slow cooker. Add the beef and all remaining stew ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- If cooking stovetop, add all the veggies before adding the wine. Add a little more butter if necessary. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until veggies have started to soften. Add the wine and simmer for 3-5 minutes, scraping the pot with a wooden spoon as the wine simmers. Add the remaining stew ingredients. Bring the stew to a boil then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for at least 1 hour, up to 2 hours.
- When the stew is ready, combine the orange zest, minced garlic, and chopped parsley in a small bowl to make the gremolata.
- Top stew with gremolata to serve (don't mix it in to the stew before serving!) and serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.
And that, my friends is it. Here s the recipe, with all you need to know. I love serving this with pureed potatoes, though you can also serve it with Any-Night Baked Rice or some parsleyed noodles.
All of these would be delicious!
Pour on the white wine and place in the oven. Bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes, loosely covered with foil for the last hour of cooking.
This is wonderful! I do deglaze the pan with Grand Marnier and a touch of balsamic vinegar with the wine, then add that to the veggies – perfect zip for a cool day! Thank you!
Oooh that sounds delicious!! So glad you enjoyed!