Dutch oven beef stew one of my winter go-to's
Try this fabulous, French dutch oven beef stew. It consists of delicious, seasoned braised beef cubes, onions, and carrots. Next, it's poured into a dutch oven before being covered with thin slices of potatoes . Both the beef and potatoes cook to tender perfection. Once you taste it, you will agree that this oven beef stew needs to be a regular at your table during this winter season.
Ah, the time of year where comfort food is king!
Cold nights, beckon for foods that are rich in taste, and stick to your bones. Enter French foods. This is a satisfying dish from the Lorraine region of France. The proper name is Baeckeoffe, which loosely translates into oven baked.
Today I am tweaking traditional French foods a bit by adding in an unusual touch. Cooking is all about innovating, right? So, I am using a new product: Orange infused olive oil. I got it at a great locally owned gourmet shop in my town: The Lavender Rabbit. Susan the owner carries a huge selection of various infused olive oils and vinegar. She also carries different mustard blends which I am dying to try. She offers private tasting parties as well in case any of my Erie, PA readers are interested.
One of the herbs I love using when I make a stew are bay leaves and thyme. Yes, the lowly bay leaves! Their earthy aroma and taste are perfect for your winter time cooking. Thyme is such a wonderful addition to any stew. And the chopped parsley makes for a pretty garnish too.
So, what else goes into this comforting, and scrumptious French oven baked beef stew? Well, lets see: onions, carrots, and parsley. This is like an Irish stew minus the Guinness.
Steps to make French oven baked stew: Baeckeoffe
- Gather all the ingredients and have them measured, chopped and ready to go: Tip: Peel and slice the potatoes on a mandolin slicer ⅛ inch thick works well. (I love my Oxo mandolin slicer
for this dish. ) Use a baking type potato like russets. Place them in water to prevent browning then drain and dry on a paper towel. Preheat the oven to 350°F. - Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Slice the bacon into ½ pieces and sauté in a large braising pan on medium heat until the edges just start to turn brown. Add the beef and brown on all sides slightly.
- Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, pork, carrots, fresh thyme leaves and olive oil. Tip: Orange infused olive oil works nice in this dish.
- Add the white wine them stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes on the stove.
- Arrange the potatoes on the top in a circular fashion.
- Cover the entire dish with the potatoes, feel free to layer them a bit.
- Bake covered for 2 hours until the meat is tender. Feel free to turn on the broiler and uncover to brown the potatoes slightly as shown. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long can I save the baeckeoffe stew? You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container after it has completely cooled.
- Can I freeze this stew? No, since this stew contains potatoes it is best not to freeze because they will have a very mushy unappealing texture when thawed.
Try a bowl of this simply scrumptious stew on a cold winter night with a chunk of my Irish soda bread , or Irish brown bread, and you can sink into culinary oblivion.
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French Oven Baked Beef Stew - Baeckeoffe
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef cubed
- 1 lb pork shoulder cubed
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 slices bacon thick or slab type
- 1 onion medium,sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil orange infused
- 2 tsp thyme fresh
- 2-3 potatoes baking type - russets work well
- 1 Tbsp curly parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel potatoes and slice thin, about ⅛ inch.
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Cut bacon into small pieces and sauté in braising pan on medium heat until the edges turn slightly brown. Add the beef, and brown slightly on all sides.
- Place the rest of the ingredients, except the potatoes in the braising pan. Mix a little bit to combine. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Arrange the potatoes on top of the beef mixture.
- Bake covered for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.
- Remove cover from pan and broil for about a minute or two to get a golden color on the potatoes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nina
Preparing this meal on a cold winter night requires some form of motivation to keep going since I lack good culinary skills. Thanks though.
Analida
You are welcome Nina. I think you will find that this recipe is fairly simple. It is a wonderful thing to eat on a cold winter night.