Slow Cooked Beef Stew with Potatoes

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comAs calendars fill up, it gets harder and harder to find the time to enjoy a good family meal together. So to celebrate these precious moments, what’s better than digging into these delicious varieties on the hearty comfort food like Grandma used to make? Nothing artificial, no preservatives or additives: This beef stew is packed with hearty chunks of meat, root vegetables, onion, red wine and fresh herbs and gently simmered in the oven to extract all the flavors. You’ll need a large cast iron pot that you can put in the oven. You can also use a slow-cooker: brown the meat in a skillet, and skip the oven step.

Ingredients list for the beef stew:

• 1.75 pound (800g) round steak, in 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large handful of sage leaves
• 1 pound (500g) small potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 carrots, peeled , cut into 2 sections
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 butternut squash, seeded and cut into cubes
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• 1/2 liter of beef or vegetable stock (homemade or prepared with organic bouillon cube )
• 2 large tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
• For the gremolata (optional) : 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; rosemary;  grated zest of one organic lemon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C).
2. In a large cast iron pot, sauté onions over low heat with  sage leaves in a little olive oil. Meanwhile, coat the meat with flour.
3. Add the meat to onions, and brown slightly over medium heat. Salt and pepper generously. Then add all the chopped vegetables, wine, broth and tomato paste.
4. Bring to a boil. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary, because of vegetables.
5. Transfer the pot in your oven and cook for at least 3 hours until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Check from time to time if you should add a little water to your dish because the sauce will thicken a lot.
6. Sprinkle with the gremolata on each plate before serving, it’s just divine!