When you dine at a fine restaurant, you come away with more
than a warm memory. The spark of
creativity suddenly flames up inside you and you long to get back into your
kitchen.
Creativity is like that.
Go to a wonderful garden, you come home and plant flowers. After leisurely strolling through an art
museum, you fixate on color and design.
You rush home to throw paint on a canvas, or touch up all those fading
spots on your house, or rearrange the furniture.
Art in all its forms plants the seeds of creativity that
will readily bloom in your garden…if you let them…if you accept that we are all
creative, whether it’s painting, or music, or drawing, or flower
arranging. The ‘what’ isn’t important,
the ‘embracing’ of your own human need to create is what matters.
What does this have to do with beef stew? See, you interrupted me and made me explain
all that other stuff, all of which should have been self-evident.
Argentine Beef Stew (My version). A stew with apricots and sweet potato and all
that other junk? Again, there you go,
suppressing your urge to create, to start something new, to step smartly into
new adventures. Stop leaning so heavily
on your adulthood and be a kid again!
Besides the philosophical and psychological aspects of this
dish, it’s delicious, or for you heathens, damn good!
Getting Down to It!
Argentine Beef Stew
1 to 1.5 lbs beef, cut in cubes (I use a whole chuck roast,
slice off most of the fat and cut the rest into cubes)
1 One large brown-skinned onion, peeled and diced
4 Cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
5 Cups of beef broth (I used 6 heaping tablespoons of Bovril in 5 cups of water - just to make the
broth richer)
1 Can (14 oz) of whole tomatoes, drained
1 Lg sweet potato, peeled and cut in a medium dice
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 Sm to med Acorn Squash, peeled, seeded, and chunked (don’t
worry if you don’t get off every bit of skin)
1 Cup dried apricots, chopped
1 Teaspoon dried or fresh oregano (You should have planted
some oregano last spring!)
Salt and black pepper to taste. Careful with the salt because the broth is
already salty.
Getting it Done!
Heat the oven to 250ºF
On the stovetop, put some olive oil (about 2 Tablespoons) in
a stew pot and heat to a medium temperature.
Add the onions, garlic, and green pepper. Slow is the secret. Do not let the onions burn.
When the onions are translucent, add the beef and stir to
lightly brown. Add the whole tomatoes by
squashing one at a time into the pot. You’re
not really a cook unless your hands get messy and smell like onions and garlic
and tomatoes! Add the oregano and give
everything a stir.
Add the beef broth and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot, put it in the oven, and cook for two hours.
Add the cubed sweet potatoes, chunked squash, and apricots. Cook another hour.
Bring the stew pot back to the stovetop, take off the lid,
and boil the stew until the broth is thickened and reduced by about half. Judgment call at this point. Give the broth a taste. Rich and wonderful? It’s done.
Still too watery? Leave it on a
while longer.
Ready to eat! I serve
it with thick slices of heavy bread. If
you really want the flavors to meld, let the stew cool and reheat it the next
day!
Before reduction. Boil it a while longer! |
A vegetarian?
Sorry. Tell me again why you’re
reading about BEEF STEW. Don’t like
green pepper? Not a fan of sweet
potato? Don’t like the idea of apricots
in your stew? Ok, you whimpy whiner, grab
another beer, sit back and let the rest of us eat this succulent Argentine Beef
Stew in peace.
Don't forget to also try my Steak and Ale Pie! http://stroudallover.blogspot.de/2014/06/steak-and-ale-pie-another-english-gift.html It's going to be a long, cold winter!
Our tastes seem to run in different directions.
ReplyDeleteI am trying it!
ReplyDeleteLet me know how yours comes out!
ReplyDelete