Goulash Tirolese aka Tyrolean Beef Stew

I know a lot of my friends and family think I am made for menu planning.  But although I look nerdy and to some a control freak there are benefits to being organised. A major benefit is that I have meals I want to try and know how long they are going to take to prepare and cook.  This means that I can not only work out which meals are suitable for weeknights and which meals take a little more time.  It also means that from menu planning I create a shopping list and therefore have all the ingredients needed in one shop to pull off a week of cooking.  Totally win win for me... sadly totally outrageous to others.

Needless to say I love finding new recipes to try and share with our friends and family and you, the readers of my blog.

Anyway - I would like to introduce you to Gennaro Contaldo. Gennaro was born in Amalfi, Italy, and came to public attention as the chef who inspired Jamie Oliver when they worked together at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street restaurant.  He also co-presents the BBC2 Two Greedy Italians series with Carluccio and has published several cookbooks, including the recently released Slow Cook Italian, from which he shares the following recipe for Goulash Tirolese (Tyrolean beef stew).

“This classic stew from the Trentino-Alto Adige or South Tyrol region of northern Italy is slow cooked with onions, cumin and paprika – its distinct central European flavour is influenced by neighbouring Austria,” he writes in the recipe introduction.

To read this recipe was a pleasure but I must say to cook it and stand in my kitchen just smelling the Goulash (occasionally tasting it because I had too) was an honour.  I am so glad that I tried this recipe.  The flavour matched the aroma that filled the house.  The ease of the recipe was unbelievable especially compared to the flavour.

A very robust goulash style stew with only a few ingredients.  The beef was very tender and the pieces of pancetta that laced the thick sauce were tasty and added a salty yet salty element to the dish.  As we are not a polenta loving household (I am the only one that likes it) we had mashed potatoes to make ensure comfort food status was achieved.

Goulash Tirolese aka Tyrolean Beef Stew

(Recipe sourced from Indaily.com - Slow Cook Italian)

Serves: 4

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, sliced

100g pancetta, cubed

About 1 litre (4 cups) hot vegetable stock

1kg stewing beef, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

1 tsp paprika

2 sprigs thyme

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onions on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent sticking, until softened. Remove and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pan and cook on a medium heat until coloured but not burnt. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Return the onions to the pan, add about 3 tablespoons of stock and cook for a minute or so until the liquid has evaporated.

Add the beef, increase the heat and brown the meat all over.

Add 100ml (scant ½ cup) of stock, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook very gently for 30 minutes, then add another 100ml of stock and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme and pancetta.

Add 400 ml of stock, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for a further 1 hour, gradually adding more stock and stirring from time to time to ensure the meat doesn’t stick.

Remove from the heat and serve with creamy polenta or mashed potato or crunchy bread.

For a slow cooker

Cook the onions, pancetta and beef as above.

Once the beef is browned add 750 ml (3 cups) stock, the garlic, cumin, paprika, thyme and pancetta.
Bring to the boil, stirring, then transfer to a large slow cooker pot, press the meat beneath the liquid, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Slow Cooked Beef Stew with Cheese and Caraway Dumplings

Junior football weekly competion has finally but sadly finished for the 2013 season.  I have enjoyed this year even though I overcommitted not only myself but Noel and sacrafice special time with my family.  This year as well as being Treasurer I moonlighted as Registrar decided to be canteen manager and also put our (yes mine and Noel's) hands up to cook Sunday night dinners for 80 - 100 people each week.  14 rounds the Junior football season runs with 4 weeks of finals which this year are at another club.  I officially hung my apron up last Sunday finding myself lost this past weekend with no additional shopping, no mass cooking and no deep frying of chips etc on Sunday morning.  I am definitely a football mam and felt like something was missing on the weekend.

Anyway while that part of me has gone for the rest of this year, I can say I should have time to focus on my blog even though my work commitments remain the same.  I am seriously wondering whether I should blogging about my restaurant meals while I travel especially while I have a massive amount of travel ahead in the next few months.  Thoughts please??  I value your opinions.......

Needless to say I spent time in the kitchen cooking for the Murray family.....  and have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Tonight's menu consisted of a slow cooked beef stew - very basic in ingredients but full of flavour.  Topped with herb packed cheesy dumplings this meal was a perfect dish for a cold evening.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew with Cheese and Caraway Dumplings

(recipe sourced from WW Magazine August 2013)

 

Serves: 4

ProPoints per Serve: 11

 

200 grams button mushrooms, sliced

550 grams gravy beef, fat trimmed

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 dried bay leaf

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2/3 cup self raising flour

1/4 cup skim milk

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup 50% reduced fat grated tasty cheese

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

pinch smoked paprika, to serve

Preheat oven 180 degrees Celsius. 

Lightly spray a large shallow ovenproof saucepan with oil and heat over high heat.  Cook the mushroom, stirring, for 4 minutes or until golden.  Set aside. 

Lightly spray the pan with oil.  Season the beef with salt and pepper.  Cook the beef, in 2 batches, for 2 minutes or until browned.  Set aside.

Cook the onion, garlic and bay leaf, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, whisk the stock, wine and tomato paste in a jug until combined.  Return the beef to the pan along with the wine mixture.  Bring to the boil.  Place in the oven and cook, covered, for 1 hour.  Add the mushroom and cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Meanwhile place the four and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.  Combine the milk, oil, parsley and 2 tablepoons of the cheese in a jug.  Stir the cheese mixture through the flour until it forms a sticky dough.

Discard the bay leaf from the stew.  Drop tablespoons of the cheese in the jug.  Sprinkle with caraway seeds and remaining cheese.  Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the dumplings sre cooked through.

Serve with 0 ProPoints value steamed vegetables.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Thank you all sooooo much for your patience with my spasmotic blogging....... cross fingers for a better last few months of the year xxx

Lamb Stew

This would have to be one of the best ways to use up Roast Lamb besides lamb sandwiches with fresh white bread of course!! Everyone in our family loves this, the flavour is amazing and for a one dish dinner is sure is a crowd pleaser!

You can make this without having roasted lamb, just used diced lamb, chops or even an uncooked leg.

This is only my version, everyone makes it differently. The vegetables can be varied to suit, whichever way it's an easy yet hearty meal that brings joy and comfort! Especially when served with a french stick to pull apart and soak into the yummy stew.

Lamb Stew

Serves: 8

Points per serve: 5

500 grams leftover roast lamb on the bone

1 brown onion, largely chopped

water

freshly ground black pepper

1 kilogram potatoes, peeled and halved

1 swede, peeled and diced

1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

2 sticks celery, finely sliced

1/2 cup green peas

2 packets Spring Vegetable soup mix

1 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place lamb leg in a stock pot or large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover, at least 4 litres would be perfect. Add onion and freshly ground pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 - 3 hours. Allow to cool. Once cooled remove the set fat from the top of the stock. Drain stock through a colander into another stockpot or large saucepan. Remove meat from the colander, discard any fat or bone pieces that are visible and return onions to the stock. Remove all the meat from the bone and shred or chop. Return meat to the stock.

Add all the vegetables and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer. Combine soup mix with water and stir through stew. Allow to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Belgian Beef Stew

With winter approaching there is nothing I like better than using the slow cooker. Especially as it can be all organised in the morning, switched on and left to it's own devices until I walk back through the front door. My favourite thing is opening the front door to the delish smells coming from the kitchen.... not only does the smell make you hungry but there is a sense of relief that tonight there will be no rush or panic to get dinner on the table quickly.

This year we have made it a mission to try some different dishes than the handful of dishes we have cooked in the past. So armed with a new slow cooker recipe book we sat down and chose a recipe to try. Belgian Beef Stew was the lucky winner!!

"Carbonnade" is the traditional name of this traditional Belgian dish. The name "Carbonnade" comes from the Lation root for "carbon". The word reflects that the stew was originally cooked very slowly in a cast-iron pot over the charcoals of an open fire or hearth. No doubt it refers to the caramelized onions and the dark beer that gives the finished dish a rich colour and deep flavour.

I have to tell you that this stew was just that - deep in flavour, in fact a unique taste that pleased everyone who partook in dinner last night, including my girlfriend Sharon and her son Tom. Tom had two serves which just amazed us as Tom has to be the fussiest eater I have ever come across - this kid doesn't even eat bread!

3

We served the Belgian Beef Stew with a serve of creamy mashed potato. I think that it would be just as nice with plain pasta and next time I will definately have some fresh crusty bread on hand to mop up the juices.

Belgian Beef Stew
(recipe adapted from Essentials of Slow Cooking)

Serves: 8
Points per serve: 6.5

4 tablespoons low fat butter
4 slices bacon, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 kilogram chuck steak, fat removed and largely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (500 ml) dark beer
4 - 5 carrots, largely diced
200 grams whole button mushrooms

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the bacon and cook, turning frequently for about 5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Add the onions, sprinkle in the sugar and saute until the onions turn a deep caramel brown colour, about 35 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker bowl.

In a large snap lock bag stir togheter the flour, salt and pepper. Add the diced beef, seal tightly and shake in the seasoned flour until completely covered, discarding any excess flour. In the frying pan over a medium heat, melt the remaining butter with the olive oil. Add diced beef, in batches if required, and cook for 10 minutes or until browned on all sides turning occasionally. Add to the onion mixture in the slow cooker. Add the carrots and mushrooms into the slow cooker also.

Pour in the beer and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil. Pour the beer mixture onto the onion and beef mixture. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender, 3 hours on the high heat setting or 6 hours on the low heat setting.