Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Best Beef Stew in the History of Stew....also the best crusty bread in the history of bread



We're making a lot of history today. But these just happen to be the two best things I've eaten in a long time. And there is nothing I love more than crusty bread. 

For the bread I used a pin I found on pintrest, you can find it on Simply So Good blog
I'm not going to go through how to make this bread because she has amazing pictures with step by step instructions!! This bread is awesomesauce, and it's so versatile you can use pretty much anything to mix in with it. I made a plain version and a version with 2/3 cup sharp cheddar and 1 tsp of ground cumin. 

So! Onwards to the stew!!

Best Stew in the History of all Stews
1 Rump Roast (I think ours was under 2lbs)
2 carrots
1/2 an onion
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup of flour
Container of Swanson low sodium Beef Stock
3 potatoes (par boiled, then roasted)
3 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbs A1 Sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees

First trim off the fat off the bottom of the rump roast and place it in your heavy stock pot on medium to start melting the fat and seasoning your pan. 

Then I cut the meat into 1 inch cubes tossed it with salt, pepper and 1/4 cup flour. 


I waited for the pan to get warm and start melting the fat from the roast and in the mean time got started with the veggies! 


Pan is hot throw in some of the meat! Do the meat in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. When you've browned all of the sides you can put it on a plate to add back later.


I chopped the veggies up and minced the garlic. 


Meat is done! 


This is the baby who was impatiently waiting to be fed...he's so handsome. 


After the meat, I added all of the veggies and sweat them for about 10 mins until the onions were translucent. And look at those tasty bits at the bottom from the beef!!


There will be some flour left at the bottom of your bowl add 1 cup of the beef broth and whisk until combined.
 

Can you feel it? We're almost done!!


I added it to the veggies and let it simmer covered for 10 mins to reduce and become thick. 


Then add the beef back in, add the rest of the beef broth (about 2 1/2 cups), Worcestershire and A1 Sauce. Simmer the stew for about 45 mins.


I par boiled the potatoes then chopped them up and roasted them with the leftover steak/fat from the bottom of the rump roast. Roast them for about 15 mins or until nice and golden brown. This is also when you can add your oven safe casserole dishes for the bread. 


Mmmm roasty


Add the potatoes to the stew and let it simmer for another 30 mins while your bread bakes.


LOOK AT HOW TASTY!!!


Look!! LOOK!!! So crusty


Sorry I was obsessed with this bread.


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


I let it rest for as long as I could before slicing into it and devouring the bread with the stew. Seriously the stew was amazing it completely melted in your mouth and the bread was so crusty and yummy on the outside and super soft on the inside. Again best meal ever. 

Here's the step by step recipe you can copy and print out. 

Best Stew in the History of all Stews
1 Rump Roast (I think ours was under 2lbs)
2 carrots
1/2 an onion
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup of flour
Container of Swanson low sodium Beef Stock
3 potatoes (par boiled, then roasted)
3 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbs A1 Sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1. First trim off the fat off the bottom of the rump roast and place it in your heavy stock pot on medium to start melting the fat and seasoning your pan. 
Then I cut the meat into 1 inch cubes tossed it with salt, pepper and 1/4 cup flour.

2. I waited for the pan to get warm and start melting the fat from the roast and in the mean time got started with the veggies!

3. When the pan is hot throw in some of the meat! Do the meat in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. When you've browned all of the sides you can put it on a plate to add back later.

4. I chopped the veggies up and minced the garlic. After the meat, I added all of the veggies and sweat them for about 10 mins until the onions were translucent.

5. There will be some flour left at the bottom of your bowl add 1 cup of the beef broth and whisk until combined. I added it to the veggies and let it simmer covered for 10 mins to reduce and become thick.

6. Then add the beef back in, add the rest of the beef broth (about 2 1/2 cups), Worcestershire and A1 Sauce. Simmer the stew for about 45 mins.

7. I par boiled the potatoes then chopped them up and roasted them with the leftover steak/fat from the bottom of the rump roast. Roast them for about 15 mins or until nice and golden brown. This is also when you can add your oven safe casserole dishes for the bread.

8. Add the potatoes to the stew and let it simmer for another 30 mins while your bread bakes.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Mmmmm Favourites


My two favourite things this week: Meatball Subs and Bacon Mashed Potatoes!

Oh yeah I went there. 

Here's my favourite meatball recipe:
1 1/2 lbs of your favourite ground meat I used Turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 Jar of your fav tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees


Combine the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl until you can start to form meatballs. Set your meatballs inside a 9x13 glass dish sprayed with non stick spray.


Add your jar of sauce on top of your meatballs. Cover them with foil and place them in the oven for 30 mins. 


I find that baking them in the sauce makes them super moist!


We got some super fluffy buns that were so tasty and topped it with the meatballs, sauce and cheese.


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Meatball Suuub


For the Mashed Potatoes:
2-3 Potatoes
4 Strips of Bacon
1/4 cup milk
Salt and Pepper

Boil the potatoes in a pot until they are nice and tender (but not too soft) I boiled mine whole because I watched an Alton Brown special that said you shouldn't cut them up first!

When the potatoes are tender I put them in a bowl and add the milk, salt and pepper and bacon and mashed until they had a great consistency. 

Mmmmmmmmmmm Bacon


BACON MASHED POTATOES!! So simple do this for Thanksgiving!!