Beef Stew In A Hurry
Not the sexiest dinner out there but I’ll tell you what, this Beef Stew In A Hurry from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion drew unsolicited compliments and broad grins from all four of my resident critics. I even found myself going back for “just another” small helping of the vegetable mixture (minus the beef) too many times to count.
Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised as the Keepers team have yet to let me down. In their version of this classic, they replaced the cheaper, tougher cut of meat traditionally featured in stew with a lean top sirloin. The objective being to lessen the cooking time, significantly, with the added result of a higher quality dish. Again, in the interest of time, the vegetables are cut a bit smaller (1/2-inch as opposed to larger chunks) so that they become tender just as the sauce has thickened. And finally, to achieve the depth of flavor that comes when a pot simmers gently for the better part of a day, this recipe includes a bit of Worcestershire and an equal amount of anchovy paste to compensate for the lack of time.
Now, I wouldn’t tell you not to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon with delicious french stew simmering in your Le Crueset because there’s nothing I love more than a lazy day in the kitchen, but after tasting this version you may want to work on your bolognese. Enjoy!
Beef Stew In A Hurry