Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef Main dish
Stews Vegetables
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 c Unbleached, all-purpose
-flour
1 tb Dried thyme
1 t Salt -- plus extra to taste
1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
-- plus extra to taste
3 lb Beef stew meat -- in 1" cubes
1/4 c Olive oil
1 c Dry red wine
1 1/2 c Homemade beef stock
1 c Canned crushed tomatoes
2 tb Ground cuminseed
1 t Chili powder
1 Bay leaf
8 To 12 white pearl onions
6 Garlic cloves
-- peeled and chopped
1/2 c Chopped Italian parsley
-- plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 c Green Sicilian olives
Stir the flour, thyme, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper
together in a shallow bowl. Turn the cubes of stew
meat in the flour to coat well, shake off excess and
transfer to a plate.
Heat olive oil in a heavy kettle. Add the beef cubes,
a few at a time, and brown them well on all sides. As
they are browned, transfer them to paper towels to
drain.
When all the meat is browned, discard excess oil but
do not wash the kettle. Add the wine, beef stock and
crushed tomatoes; set kettle over medium heat. Bring
to a boil, stirring and scraping up the browned bits
from the bottom of the pan. Return beef to the
kettle, then add cuminseed, chili powder and bay leaf
and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover kettle and set it on the middle rack of the
oven. Bake at 350 F. for 1 1/2 hours, stirring
occasionally and regulating the oven temperature to
maintain the stew at a steady simmer.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut
an "x" in the root end of each pearl onion and drop
them into the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain them
and drop them into a bowl of cold water. When
completely cool, drain and peel them.
After the stew has been in the oven about 1 hour, stir
in the onions. Continue to cook the stew, uncovered.
After another 15 minutes, stir in the garlic, 1/2 cup
parsley and the olives. Continue to cook, uncovered,
until stew is reduced and thickened to your liking and
beef is tender. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle
with parsley, and serve immediately.
The authors note that "depending on the rest of the
menu, this stew seems Mexican or Mediterranean because
it is hearty and intriguingly seasoned with
cuminseed..."
From _The Silver Palate Cookbook_ by Julee Rosso and
Sheila Lukins with Michael McLaughlin. New York:
Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1982. Pg. 125. ISBN
0-89480-204-6.
