Irish-Caribbean Beef Stew

This recipe is close enough to the typical Irish beef stew. Some seasonings may be different and sort of have the Lisa twist. But I have also added a typical Caribbean element for soups and stews…Flour dumplings! To die for – click on the link to get a bit more information on how to make these. You don’t have to add this, I just like them, but your stew would be just as delicious and hearty if you don’t add the dumplings at the end. I just need my taste of home in my stew! This recipe takes a bit longer than my typical recipes but it is so worth it for those cold winter days when you need some warm hearty comfort food!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of beef stew meat
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• Handful cilantro (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp flour
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 white onion (large dice)
• 1 shallot (diced)
• 6-7 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 4-5 medium potatoes
• 4-5 medium carrots
• 1/2 tsp dried bay leaf flakes or two whole bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Optional Dumpling Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Season beef with 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and cilantro. Mix it all together until combined. You can marinate in the fridge for 30 mins – 24 hours.
2. Mix 1/4 cup of flour into the beef. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add a tbsp of oil and brown beef in batches. Make sure to brown all sides. Add more oil in between if needed. Place browned meat on a plate and deglaze the pan.
3. Add wine, red wine vinegar and 1 cup of broth to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, deglaze the pan until all the brown bits are off the bottom. Pour mixture into a separate bowl. Depending on the pan you use, your brown bits may be a bit burnt. In which case you may want to start with a new pan. In which case, skip step 3 and go directly to step 4.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium heat in a cast iron dutch oven or a heavy pot. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring continuously until it is soft and browned.
5. Add shallots and cook for an additional 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another minute.
6. Add beef to pot and then add liquid from step 3. If you skipped step 3, you can now add the red wine, red wine vinegar and cup of broth.
7. Add tomato paste, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, thyme, bay leaf and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
8. Add an additional cup broth and cook covered on low-medium heat for 1.5 hours. Add additional broth or water as needed.
9. If adding dumplings – go to dumpling recipe and follow instructions to make dough.
10. Test beef. If nearly done cooking (i.e. soft and with just a little toughness left) go to step 11, otherwise cook a bit more.
11. Add potatoes and carrots and cook an additional 30-35 minutes until soft. Add more broth or water as needed. I ended up using 4 cups of broth and 2 cups water for my stew.
12. If adding dumplings, add now and cook for another 5-8 minutes.
13. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
14. Serve hot topped with fresh chopped scallions.