Our weather here in Maine has been flip flopping like crazy. We had a week or two that was such a Spring tease. We were outside working in light long sleeve shirts, or even t-shirts. The kids pulled out their flip flops and running around barefoot. Then we had a snow storm. It didn’t stick, but the wood stove was going full blast and the jackets and hats were pulled out again. Then we got crazy wind. Enough that we had major power outages across the state twice in one week. Living in Maine can be quite the experience!
So, my point being, with all the crazy weather, we haven’t totally gotten out of the comfort foods yet. I still have a few recipes under my belt I want to share that are packed full of vegetables, but warming to the soul. Starting with this dish. This dish may not necessarily be packed with vegetables, but it is wonderfully hearty and satisfying. I created this dish with the thought of a cross between beef stew and braised beef. I wanted something that was faster, but had the mouth watering, tender stew meat. Braised beef is a favorite in our household, but I only make it a few times a year since it takes a good part of the day to cook. I also was looking for a dish that was thicker than beef stew because I had it in my mind that I really wanted it to be served over rice. Enter this dish.
This dish has several similar components of the braised beef, such as bacon, and plenty of garlic. I also added some carrots into the dish for a little veggie addition. I considered potatoes as well, but I decided since it was going to be served over rice that it would be too heavy. So, I decided to stick with the minimal ingredients I had chosen and pack it full with red wine and herbs.
To make this dish, the bacon and onion are cooked together first until the onions are translucent and the bacon is cooked through, which adds lovely flavor to the onions. Then, the garlic and stew meat are mixed in and lightly browned. The liquids, carrots and seasonings are stirred in and then allowed to simmer for 1 hour. With the longer simmer time, it allows the meat to become tender and the flavor to really come out strong. A meal that comes together rather quickly, and also allows you to simmer and leave. Just come back to stir occasionally and cook the rice before you’re ready to devour. This may be a really ugly meal to the eye, but it is anything but ugly to the taste buds. This dish is hearty and a great comfort food meal that makes even better leftovers.
Stew Beef with Rice
This hearty dish is packed with tender stew beef, chopped carrots, bacon and lovely seasonings. It's fabulous served over rice for a soul warming meal.
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 5 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pounds stew beef, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2-3 large carrots, peeled and small diced
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, stir together the onions and bacon. Cook, stirring often, until the bacon is cooked through and the onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Carefully drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Increase the heat to high and stir in the garlic and stew beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Once the meat has browned, stir in the carrots, red wine, chicken broth, garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. To serve, dish cooked rice into serving bowls, the spoon beef mixture with broth over the rice.
Notes
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
