Sun, 17 October 2021
Beef & Porcini Stew
ingredients:
20g dried porcini mushrooms
2kg braising or stewing beef
150g pancetta
300ml boiling water with beef stock
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary
150g quartered button mushrooms
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
375mls red wine
method:
1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Put the dried porcini into a small bowl, cover with 300ml boiling water with beef stock and set aside.
2. Season the beef well with salt and pepper. Heat a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat with 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
3. When the oil is hot, add the beef in batches and sear on all sides. As each batch is browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
4. Add the pancetta to the pan and brown before removing with a slotted spoon and set aside with the seared beef.
5. Add the remaining olive oil to the casserole dish along with the celery, garlic, shallots and rosemary. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened, remove the vegetables and set aside, now turn up the heat and add the button mushrooms so you get a nice colour on them.
6. When this is complete put the vegetables and pancetta back into the casserole dish.
7. Remove the soaked porcini mushrooms from their bowl and add to the casserole dish. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve (to remove any grit) into the casserole dish. Boil to reduce the liquid by half (about 5 minutes), then add the chopped tomatoes and wine.
8. Bring to a simmer and then return the beef to the casserole. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit snugly inside the casserole, then place the paper directly on top of the surface of the stew - don’t cover with the lid.
9. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. After this time the stew should be thick and the meat so tender that it breaks apart easily.
10. This stew would be perfect served with baked potatoes, parmesan mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
