Stockbridge Stew

Warmth in a Bowl

There’s no dish that exudes warmth like a bowl of soup or stew. The Berkshires are full of restaurants offering daily iterations of steaming hot concoctions

Many of the best childhood memories evolve around a humble cut of meat magically transformed into a heartwarming soup by our mothers or grandmothers - a perfect example of plebian comfort food. I offer you here a wonderful recipe to warm your hearts and tummies while winter sadly still lingers outside.

STOCKBRIDGE STEW

My recipe for “Stockbridge Stew” calls for roasting the vegetables to intensify and sweeten the flavors before completing the stew. Although the recipe calls for beef, feel free to modify the recipe by using lamb, pork or some delicious venison. You can also create your own version by roasting your favorite winter vegetables to add to the basic stew. Winter squash or sweet potatoes would be a delicious addition – so feel free to experiment. The trick is to cut the vegetables into similar size pieces so they cook evenly.

6 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
¼ pound sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 pounds of beef chuck roast, cubed
½ cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 cup red wine
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 cups beef broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place in a roasting pan. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are nicely browned. Remove from oven and put roasting pan aside.

While the vegetables cook, put the meat into a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Add in about ½ cup flour and toss until the meat is well-coated. Shake off any excess flour.

In a skillet, sauté the meat in 2 tablespoons olive oil until lightly browned on all sides. Add the browned meat to the vegetables then deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of red wine, scraping up all the delicious brown bits in the pan.

Transfer the meat, vegetables and wine to a slow cooker and add in the bay leaf, herbes de Provence, rosemary, tomato paste and beef broth. Cook for 6 hours on “low (or 4 hours on “high”) until meat and vegetables are tender. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread.

Remember – always have a bowl of BerkshireStyle stew ready when friends drop by to help chase the winter blues away!