Beef or Lamb Stew
Don't let the length of the list of ingredients put you off; it goes together very quickly.
6 servings
1 1/2 hours - 30 minutes prep time
2 medium onions4 stalks of celery OR 1 small celery root, peeled
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
450 grams (1 pound) lean stewing beef or lamb
2 cloves of garlic (optional)
3 cups water or fat-free broth
1/4 cup raw barley
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 cups peeled diced rutabaga
1 small white turnip, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 cup cleaned button mushrooms (halve or quarter if large)
1 540 ml (19 ounce) tin diced or crushed tomatoes
salt to taste
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Peel and chop the onions coarsely, chop the celery coarsely as well. Peel and mince the garlic.
In a large skillet, sauté the onions and celery in 2/3 the oil until softened; remove them to a large stew pot. Add the remaining oil, and cook the beef or lamb until browned all over. Stir in the garlic, and after a minute or so remove the meat to the stew pot.
Add the water or broth, the barley and the bay leaves to the stew pot, and turn on the heat. While it comes up to a boil, peel and chop the remaining vegetables into bite-sized pieces, and add them to the stew as they are prepared. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and the seasonings.
Cover the stew, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the stew until the meat is done and the vegetables and the barley are tender. Add a little more water if needed.
This can be made ahead; stew keeps and reheats well. In fact, you will likely find the meat better the second day, as the cooling and reheating process also tenderizes it. The flavours in general will have blended and mellowed as well.
Jennifer Sanders is a Meaford resident and author of the popular 'Ontario Seasonal Food' blog site. She is a regular contributor of local food articles to The Meaford Independent.
