Winter Warmth

This recipe was made using a brand new 5 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven from Basix by Staub. There was some uncertainty about the quality of this pot since it was not reviewed by Cook’s Illustrated which we use to determine cookware purchases. The Staub handled the browning process very well and cooked the beef evenly without burning. Of course it was monitored more closely than usual. In the past, the beef has always kind of boiled in liquid that it released while it was browning. The dry aged Rock Farm Natural stew meat didn’t let off any liquid and browned perfectly in the pot. This recipe is adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. The oven is used for the cooking process because the heat is distributed more evenly.

½ cup flour
salt
pepper
oil
2 pounds beef stew meat and some bone
2 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp allspice
small sliced onion
2-3 potatoes
2-3 carrots

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Mix flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Dry beef on a paper towel and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in pan over medium high heat, gently place meat in pan only adding enough to not crowd the meat, turning until brown all over. Do not cook through. Cook in batches until all meat is browned. Scrape the frond from the pan as you go. Return the meat to the pan, add the liquid slowly watching for spattering. Add remaining ingredients except for the carrots and potatoes. Bring to boiling over high heat, cover and then place in oven. Cook at 300ºF for 2 - 2½ hours. Add vegetables and cook for another 30 minutes or until tender. This goes great with baking powder biscuits.