In my many years of writing this column, I fear I've become predictable. In springtime, I write about strawberries. In December, I write about cookies or candy. In September, I write about recipes that are easy to throw together on a weeknight. And in winter, I write about beef stew. A quick glance in the archives says I've written about beef and vegetable stew roughly a dozen times in as many years.
So here we are in mid-January and guess what I'm eating? That's right, beef stew.
But wait! This one is different. It has dumplings on top. (If you're not dumpling people, we have an excellent Cheddar Cream Biscuit recipe here, that is equally delicious with this stew.)
This winter I've been making the stew in my manual (stove-top) pressure cooker — beef stew from craving to table in about an hour! — but the recipe works in a Dutch oven on the stove, an electric pressure cooker or in a slow cooker, you just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
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Beef Stew With Carrot Dumplings
- For the stew:
- 1 ½ pounds stew beef, cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup dry red wine (I usually use an inexpensive red blend such as 19 Crimes, Apothic or Dreaming Tree)
- 2 to 3 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or minced fresh garlic (look for garlic paste with the herbs in the produce section)
- 1 onion, cut into thick wedges OR 1 teaspoon sauteed onion base such as Better Than Bouillon
- ½ to ¾ pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (can use "baby cut" carrots), divided use
- 1 ½ pounds small potatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 to 2 cups frozen baby lima beans
- For the carrot dumplings:
- 2 ¼ cups baking mix such as Bisquick
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot (about 3 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon fresh snipped parsley
- 1 cup vegetable broth
To prepare in pressure cooker:
Toss beef cubes with flour, salt and pepper to coat. Brown beef on all sides in butter in the bottom of the pressure cooker or Dutch oven. Remove beef to a plate. Add wine, 2 cups broth, bay leaves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and garlic to the cooker and bring mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits, over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the pot, add the onion (or onion base) and a third of the cut carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, seal pressure cooker and bring to high pressure. Cook for 30 minutes, then rapidly release pressure according to manufacturer's instructions and open cooker.
Add potatoes, remaining cut carrots and lima beans and, if necessary, a little more broth, reseal cooker, bring to high pressure and cook 15 minutes more. Rapidly release pressure.
To prepare in a slow cooker:
Toss beef cubes with flour to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Brown beef on all sides in butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Transfer beef to slow cooker.
Add wine, broth, bay leaves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and garlic to the pan and bring mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits, over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine mixture. Cook on low for about 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.
To prepare in a Dutch oven:
Toss beef cubes in flour that has been seasoned generously with salt and ground black pepper. Shake off any excess flour.
In a large pot such as a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the beef, working in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
Stir in the beef broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and then add the wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion base (or onion). Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return the beef to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add the vegetables and enough water to barely cover. Increase to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes for potatoes and carrots.
To make the dumplings:
In a medium bowl, stir together the baking mix, shredded carrots, parsley and vegetable broth or water to make soft dough.
Using two spoon, gently drop dumplings into simmering stew. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes; cover and simmer 10 minutes more or until dumplings are cooked through. If preparing in a slow cooker, cook the dumplings, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Makes about 4 servings.
Dumpling portion adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Soups and Stews Book."