Are you guys watching Shark Week?
Don't act like you're not. We all watch it, because it's awesome. I'm obsessed with Shark Week and sharks. Sharks are amazing and powerful and still so mysterious.
If I were a little better at this blogging game, I would have made a Shark Week inspired meal this week. Or better yet, a shark inspired cocktail. My shark inspired cocktail would be called "Shark Bait BREW-haha" and it would have Landshark beer in it. HAHA GET IT?! Shark?! BREW?!
I shouldn't quit my day job.
What I did make this week was this yummy Home-style Beef Stew. The mornings and evenings are getting a lovely crispness to them here in New England, and I was craving a nice home-cooked, heart-warming meal.
I have had a bit of a crazy week, so I actually made this stew on SUNDAY and kept it stored in an airtight container in the fridge and cooked it up for dinner on TUESDAY. I have to say, the longer it stayed tucked away in the fridge, the more the flavors melded together and the more delicious this stew became.
The stew is a breeze to pull together. Start by chopping and dicing 1 medium yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 1 medium turnip, and 2 stalks of celery.
In a large stock pot, heat up some olive oil and butter over medium heat, then brown a bunch of stew meat on all sides until browned. Beautiful! Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same pot, juices and all, saute the onions and a big clove of minced garlic. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn't burn!
After some time has passed, you will want to add a dollop of tomato paste and a whole container of beef stock or broth (low sodium variety is best, so we control the salt, not the broth man). Return the beef to the pot as well.
Season the stew with a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and pep-dawg. Boil it. Lower the heat. Cover the pot and walk away. I'm talking a whole hour and a half (stirring occasionally).
Scurry back to the kitchen an hour and a half later and plop the turnips, carrots, and celery into the pot. Actually, don't plop them in. The stew will be hot and a "plop" usually comes with a "splatter" and that might result in burns. I don't want you to get hurt. So, rather, gently add them in.
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30 minutes later, and it's time to finish it off with some parsley. At this point the stew should be nice and thick and completely irresistible!
