Dragon Lady Stew Recipes

BEST EVER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, add steak to the stockpot and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes; set aside. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour and tomato paste until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the stockpot. Stir in beef stock, thyme, bay leaves and steak. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until beef is very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in potato; simmer until potatoes are just tender and stew has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.* Serve immediately.

PAULA DEEN'S OLD-TIME BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours.
• Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes longer.
• To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup of water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Taste test the stew and add additional seasonings, if desired. Stir and cook until bubbly.

DRAGON'S BREATH CHILI

Steps:

• Add the bacon grease and butter to a large stockpot over high heat. Add the Anaheim chiles, poblano chiles, red bell peppers, jalapeno chiles and onions, and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Add the chuck and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and brown, stirring gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until the meat is nicely browned and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cayenne, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, salt and black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the tomato sauce and paste, and stir to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beer and stock. Add the kidney and pinto beans; lower the heat and simmer, about 2 hours.
• Serve the chili in bowls over Double-Fried French Fries and garnish with crackers, green onions and Cheddar.
• Peel the potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.
• Fill a large bowl with water and soak the potatoes, submerged, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.
• Fit a heavy stockpot with a deep-fry thermometer and heat the oil to 325degress F.
• Remove the potatoes from the water and pat dry to remove excess water. Carefully place two handfuls of potatoes into the hot oil. There should be at least 1 inch of oil above the potatoes. Parcook until the potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the potatoes, gently shaking off the excess oil and let them drain on a rack. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are parcooked.
• Raise the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F. Cook the potatoes again, two handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil, shake off the excess oil, place in a bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika in a 10-inch skillet or baking dish. Spoon the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes all over the surface of the stew and use a spoon or spatula to spread them out. Bake until the top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per batch; set aside on a plate.
• Add the onions to the pot. Stir and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions and garlic. Pour in the beef stock, beer and a splash of water, then add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, sugar, paprika, salt and some pepper. Add the beef back to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and simmer until the beef is cooked and the mixture has thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Top with the parsley if using.
• Note: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add water as needed.
• Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Put them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape before adding in the other ingredients.
• Turn off the heat and add the butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, horseradish cream, seasoned salt, kosher salt and pepper. Mash to combine. Add the chopped parsley and mix in.