Sweet Merlot Beef Stew Recipes

MOM'S HEARTY BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering, and place the onion and beef into the hot oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the steak seasoning, stir the meat and onions well, and sprinkle with 1 more teaspoon of seasoning. Add the celery, and cook and stir until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in 2 cups of water to just cover the meat, onion, and celery, bring to a boil, and stir and scrape the browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat and celery pieces from the pan, set the meat aside, and discard the celery.
• In a bowl, whisk together the gravy mix with 4 cups of water. Add the mixture to the juices in the pot, bring to a boil, and stir the meat back into the gravy mixture. Stir in the turnip and carrots, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and simmer an additional 20 minutes.
• To make dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture looks crumbly. Pour in the milk, and lightly stir the mixture just until it combines to form a dough.
• Remove 2 cups of gravy from the pot, and reserve. Drop the dumplings by heaping tablespoon onto the meat and vegetables in the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not peek until the time is up. Pour the reserved gravy back over the dumplings, stir lightly, and serve.

SWEET-AND-SOUR BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown beef in oil in batches; drain. Transfer to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. , In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce, onions, carrots, green pepper, pineapple, vinegar, brown sugar, corn syrup, chili powder, paprika and salt; pour over beef. , Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with rice if desired. Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth or water if necessary.

OLD-FASHIONED BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Coat beef with flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, add beef and saute until brown, approximately 6 minutes. Remove beef from stock pot and set aside.
• Add onions and mushrooms to stock pot and saute for 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, continually stirring.
• Skim off fat any fat from the stock pot and return cooked beef to pot; stir in tomato paste and broth. Add enough water to just cover ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Skim off any foam that has accumulated on the surface of stew and add carrots, potatoes and green beans. Cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir mixture into stew. Increase heat and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

MERLOT BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Prepare vegetables, keeping chopped onions aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour and pepper, set aside.
• In a measuring cup combine beef base with 1 cup hot water, set aside.
• In a dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Chop bacon, set aside.
• Cut beef into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks.
• Add beef to seasoned flour, toss to coat.
• Brown seasoned beef in two batches, placing first and second batches in a medium bowl.
• Add bacon to hot dutch oven, stirring until the fat is just turning golden brown.
• Remove and add to beef bowl.
• Add onions to dutch oven, reducing heat to medium.
• Stir often and keep an eye on them so they do not burn.
• When just golden add tomato paste, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
• Add the merlot, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
• Add the beef base with water, worcestershire, beef stock, dry french rub and stir well.
• Add prepared vegetables, stir well to coat.
• Add contents of the beef bowl, stir well to coat.
• Add bay leaves.
• Cover with a lid and place in oven.
• If your oven runs hot reduce heat to 275 degrees.
• Check stew at 3 hours, giving it a good stir.
• Add water if needed.
• Stir again at 4 hours, remove at 5 hours.
• Search out bay leaves and remove.

SWEET BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, brown beef, onions and garlic in oil over medium heat. Stir in salt, ginger, pepper and nutmeg. Combine the apricot nectar, soy sauce, molasses and brown sugar; pour over meat. Close cover securely; place pressure regulator on vent pipe., Bring cooker to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 20 minutes. (Pressure regulator should maintain a slow steady rocking motion; adjust heat if needed.) Remove from the heat; allow pressure to drop on it's own., Remove meat with a slotted spoon. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually add to pan drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in meat and serve over rice.

BEEF MERLOT CROCK POT

Steps:

• Heat frying pan on HIGH (hot pan, cold grease= NO STICKING!).
• Add 2 T bacon fat- melt.
• Add chopped onion and garlic.
• Turn down heat to medium low- sauté for 5 minutes.
• Remove and set aside.
• Turn up heat to High- get pan really hot.
• Add more bacon fat or olive oil if pan is dry.
• Quickly brown meat- let each side get browned.
• Place browned meat into crock pot.
• Add 1 cup water to pan to make a beef stock.
• Add 2 bouillon cubes- stir and break up into stock.
• Add 1/4 Merlot (or other red wine) optional.
• Pour over meat in crock pot.
• Spoon onion mixture over meat.
• Cover and cook 10 hours on Low.
• Serve with mashed potatoes (or rice), cooked/buttered broccoli and crusty rolls.