Curry beef stew

I like beef stew as much as the next person but it’s so easy to get into a rut. I need a change sometimes and this is a good stew that’s just as simple to make as traditonal stew and even a bit faster; no potatoes or carrots need to be peeled.

I made this last week when I was testing Swanson’s new beef stock — my review is here – and even though the recipe was written for a slow cooker, I made it in the oven. Oven simmering is a long-time favorite in my kitchen. It’s gentler and produces better results than a slow cooker because the heat surrounds the cooking vessel instead of coming only from the sides. And it’s more consistent than stovetop simmering because even though temperatures fluctuate in an oven, they’re far more steady than on a burner. There’s no need to keep checking to see it’s still simmering or simmering too vigorously.

Another advantage of oven simmering is it eliminates the need to start the stew in a skillet and move everything to the slow cooker. It’s all done in one pot. If you have a cast iron cocotte or Dutch oven, this is a perfect time to use it. My directions are for oven simmering; the slow cooker variation follows.

Rather than dice the jalapeno, I cut it in half, submerged it seeds and all, then removed it before serving.

Curry Beef Stew

Adapted from Allrecipes

1 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced (quartered for slow cooker)
1 pound chuck, cut into 1 1/2″ cubes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 TB curry powder *
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 jalapeno pepper, diced

* This is double the original amount and it’s not too much for my palate.

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees/150 C/Gas 2 .

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat until hot. Add the diced onion, and cook 3 – 5 minutes, stirring from time to time and scraping up the brown bits, until tender and nicely colored. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides.

Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and mix well. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the stock or broth and the jalapeno pepper. Stir well to combine.

Let cook until a few bubbles break the surface — this is called a “lazy simmer” — then cover and transfer to the oven.

Simmer 2 hours, undisturbed, Adjust seasoning before serving.

For a slow cooker: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder.

Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef.

Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth. Cover and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Copyright (C) 2008  From Scratch  All Rights Reserved           Print This Post

Tagged as: budget meals, easy