A warming and delicious beef stew.

Recipe: a warming and delicious beef stew | A Little Bird
Brrrr. It’s getting colder.
Here’s a great winter stew recipe to warm you up.
We make loads of stews all through the winter, and this one – shin of beef with ginger and soy, from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book, River Cottage Every Day, is a high favourite for several reasons.

1) It’s delicious and tasty.
Sometimes totally traditional stew can be a bit bland.
Not this, with its soy and ginger.
It’s still comfort food of the highest order, but it comes with a kick.
It works both as an informal family supper or for a dinner party.
It freezes well too.

2) It’s cheap.
Shin of beef is an inexpensive cut of meat that needs to be cooked slowly for a long time, so the sinewy parts melt down and add a lovely gelatinous texture.
Perfect, then, to use in a stew.
1.5kg of shin of beef, which is a lot of meat, costs less than a tenner.

3) It’s easy.
The only trick to this stew, and any stew, is to take your time to brown the meat.
You’ll get spat at by the fat, and your tongs will get hot with turning the meat so it’s properly browned on all sides, but it’s so worth it.
Once you’ve done that, the rest is mere minutes of prep.
Then it just sits in a low oven for 3 hours or so.
We sometimes serve it with rice, but it really is best with egg noodles, as Hugh suggests.

Here is the full recipe:

Shin of beef with ginger and soy: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: River Cottage Everyday.

Serves 4 – 6
2 tablespoons sunflower or groundnut oil or beef fat
About 1.5kg shin of beef, cut into 2cm thick slices, either on or off the bone.
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 thumb-sized nuggets of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tart fruit jam or jelly, such as redcurrant, plum or crab apple
150ml soy sauce
350-500ml apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 medium-hot fresh or dried chillies
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 120 C/ Gas ½

Heat the oil or fat in a wide, heavy-based flameproof casserole.

Season the pieces of meat with salt and pepper and brown them in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan, turning them to colour all over.
Remove each batch and set aside while you brown the rest.
The meat may curl up a bit as the membranes contract with the heat, especially if the slices are on the bone: snipping the membranes will help release the tension and flatten the meat out again.
Once the beef is browned, remove it from the casserole and set aside on a plate.

Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and ginger to the casserole and cook gently until softened but not coloured.
Add the jam or jelly and soy sauce, mix well, then return the meat to the casserole, in a single layer if possible. (It’s not possible, not unless you have the biggest casserole in the world. It doesn’t matter though).

Pour in enough apple juice barely to cover the meat.

Add the vinegar, whole chillies and a few grinds of black pepper, then cover and place in the oven.
Cook for 2.5 – 3 hours, until the meat is completely tender.

The garlic and ginger should just about hold their shape and should be eaten with the meat.
The chillies will have done their job and can be discarded – or nibbled by anyone brave enough.
Serve with noodles and steamed greens.

Stroganoff, Ricotta, Herbs, Stock.

Serious Eats: The Food Lab | Serious Eats

- The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff | Serious Eats

- The Food Lab: Fresh Ricotta in Five Minutes or Less | Serious Eats

- Use the Microwave to Dry Your Herbs for Long-Lasting Intense Flavor | Serious Eats

- How to Make The Best Chicken Stock | Serious Eats

Herb Rub
Makes 1 small jar

A very large bunch of fresh sage, two to three times as much as the rosemary
A large bunch of rosemary
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 heaping tablespoon Maldon salt

1. Pick the leaves off the sage and rosemary stalks. In a small food processor, chop up the herbs with the garlic cloves and salt until the mixture is pretty fine. Discard any sticks or seeds.

2. Spread the herb mixture on a baking sheet and let it dry for about three days. Once dry, store your herb in a tighly-sealed in a jar for up to a year.

Mary Berry Foolproof Cooking.

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- Mary Berry Foolproof Cooking, part two: Chicken, red wine and garlic casserole  | Daily Mail Online

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- Mary Berry Foolproof Cooking, part one: Fruitcake loaves  | Daily Mail Online

- Mary Berry Foolproof Cooking, part two: Boiled beef and carrots with mustard-parsley sauce  | Daily Mail Online

- Mary Berry Foolproof Cooking, part two: Ginger semifreddo with poached pears  | Daily Mail Online

How to cook perfect beef stew.

How to cook perfect beef stew | Life and style | The Guardian
A word of warning
Lots of stew recipes call for very gentle cooking – but beware, they still need to simmer.
As the New York Times food writer, and general food science genius, Harold McGee explains in his book The Curious Cook,
- "strands of beef collagen don't even begin to unravel until the temperature exceeds 140F (60C), and they don't dissolve into gelatin in any appreciable quantity below 180F (82C)"
– so all that those chewy bits will stay just that unless you keep the stew relatively hot.

A hearty stew should be a simple affair – beefy, savoury, and crowned with a ring of fluffy dumplings. No garlic required.

Perfect beef stew:
Serves 4 – 6

800g shin of beef
2 tbsp flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Beef dripping, butter or oil
2 onions, sliced
300ml beef stock
300ml stout
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of thyme
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunky slices
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into chunks

For the dumplings:
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g suet
Small bunch of chives and parsley, finely chopped

1. Trim the beef of its outer sinew and cut into large chunks. Toss with the seasoned flour to coat. Heat a heavy-bottomed casserole or pan on a medium flame and add a knob of dripping or butter, or a couple of tablespoons of oil. Brown the meat in batches, adding more fat if necessary – be careful not to overcrowd the pan, or it will boil in its own juices – then transfer to a bowl. Scrape the bottom of the pan regularly to prevent any residue from burning.

2. Once all the meat is browned, add some more fat to the pan and cook the onions until soft and slightly browned. Add them to the beef and then pour in a little stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add the beef and onions, the rest of the stock and the stout, season, and add the herbs. Bring to the boil, then partially cover, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for two hours.

3. Add the carrots and turnips, and simmer for about another hour, until the meat is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Leave to cool, overnight if possible, and then lift the solidified fat off the top and bring to a simmer.

4. Meanwhile, make the dumplings by sifting the flour into a bowl and adding the rest of the ingredients and just enough cold water to bring it together into a dough. Roll it into 6 dumplings and add these to the stew. Partially cover and simmer for 25 minutes, then check the seasoning of the gravy, and serve with steamed greens.

Is there anything to touch stew and dumplings for sheer nostalgic cockle-warming, and can the British version hold its head high in the face of international competition? If not – seriously, what's better?

Beef Stew with Bacon.

Beef Stew with Bacon | Williams-Sonoma Taste
3 lb. (1.5 kg) boneless beef chuck
2 Tbs. canola oil
4 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) lengths
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) beef stock or broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 lbs. (675 g) red-skinned potatoes

Steak and White Beans.

The recipe featured here takes this method a step further:
- it calls for letting the meat rest twice before serving.
At first glance you may think this will dry out your steak because it’s actually cooked twice, but it’s a technique many steakhouse chefs use and they, if anyone, should know how to cook a perfect steak.

“The sequence of initial high-heat sear, long rest and oven finish allows the tasty juices to remain in the meat while the heat migrates slowly toward the center in what is known as residual-heat cooking,” says Brigit Binns, author of The Cook & The Butcher. “I’m convinced that once you try this method, it will become part of your cooking repertoire.”
The T-bone and porterhouse are steaks of beef cut from the short loin (called the sirloin in Commonwealth countries).

Pan-Roasted Porterhouse Steak
T-Bone steaks and Porterhouse steaks are the same.
The Porterhouse is just a larger version of the T-Bone because it is carved from the larger portion of the tenderloin.
A Porterhouse is the "King of the T-Bones".

1 porterhouse steak, about 700g and 3cm thick, patted dry
1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Rub both sides of the steak with the 1 Tbs. oil.
Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 1⁄2 hours.

Heat a large, ovenproof fry pan over high heat until it is very hot, about 3 minutes.
Season one side of the steak generously with salt.
Add enough oil to the pan to coat the bottom and reduce the heat to medium-high.
When the oil is shimmering, use tongs to place the steak, salted side down, in the pan and let cook without moving it for 2 1⁄2 minutes.
Season the top with salt, turn the steak over and season with pepper to your liking.
Cook for 2.5 minutes more.
Transfer to a rack set over a plate and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 218°C.
Return the steak to the pan, place in the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the steak, away from the bone, registers 57°C to 60°C for medium-rare, about 12 minutes, or to your desired doneness.
Transfer to the rack and let rest, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes.

Cut the sirloin away from the bone on one side and the filet section on the other.
Cut across the grain into thick slices.
Arrange on plates.
Serve at once, passing oil at the table for drizzling.
Serves 2 or 3.

Serving suggestion:
Serve with Warm White Bean Salad:
Cook beans with tomato, red onion, minced garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil and vinegar.
Stir gently and season with salt and pepper.

In the United Kingdom, steak is typically served with chips (french fries), fried mushrooms and a fried tomato.
Other vegetables such as peas, carrots or a green salad can also be served.
English mustard and ketchup are condiments sometimes used.
The country has a long history of beef eating and was once known for its beef and beef cooking methods, earning the English the mildly offensive nickname, "Les Rosbif" from the French.
Note:
Williams-Sonoma. - Sonoma, California, US.
"Chuck" Williams (October 2, 1915 – December 5, 2015) was the founder of the Williams-Sonoma company and author and editor of dozens of books on the subject of cooking.
'via Blog this'

Grilled Marinated Steak.

Steakhouse-Style Grilled Marinated Flank Steak | Serious Eats : Recipes:
"1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 anchovy filets
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 medium shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, anchovies, garlic, mustard, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and emulsified.

Transfer 1/3 of marinade to a small container, add chives and shallots, stir to combine, and reserve.

Place flank steak inside a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag with remaining marinade.
Press out air, seal bag, and allow meat to marinate, turning occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to 12."

'via Blog this'

Korean Beef + Toasted Sesame Rice.

30 Minute Korean Beef + Toasted Sesame Rice - Half Baked Harvest:
Toasted Sesame rice - version 2!
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
4 scallions or green onions, sliced

Instructions

To make the rice.
Heat the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Remove the seeds when they darken and become fragrant.
Add the water to a medium size pot. Bring to a low boil and then add the rice and sesame oil.
Stir to combine and then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible.
Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit on the stove, covered for another 20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!).
After 20 minutes remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork and stir in 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds.
Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.

While the rice cooks start the steak.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch pieces and add to a medium size bowl.
To the bowl add the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss well. Set aside.
Mix the remaining cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until there are no lumps.
Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat.
Add the ginger and garlic and sauté about 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce, water, hot chili oil, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Bring the sauce to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture, boil for about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil.
Once hot add the red pepper, orange pepper and zucchini.
Stir fry for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft and tender, then remove from the pan and place on a plate.
Return the skillet to medium high heat and add another tablespoon of oil.
Grab the steak and add to the skillet, shaking off any extra cornstarch as you place it in the pan.
Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes, until just barely cooked through.
Now carefully pour the sauce into the skillet.
Add the peppers back in and bring the sauce to a boil.
Boil 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and is coating the steak and peppers (the sauce must come to a boil for it to thicken).
Stir in the green onions and serve over the toasted sesame rice, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired.