Meaty Winter Stew
WITH THICK-CUT FILET AND RED WINE
I’m all for quick'n 'n easy recipes, but there is something magical about just chucking vegetables and (plant-based) meats into a pot and letting it cook itself for hours (or in this case, 30 minutes hehe). The vegetables soften while retaining a satisfying bite, the meats attain that coveted 'fall-off-the-bone' tenderness, and the mixture of stock, red wine, and coffee transmutes into a rich, glossy gravy. Pair that with a serving of buttery mashed potatoes, put on your favorite comfort movie (Hannah Montana: The Movie *ahem*), and cozy up under that one old blanket that smells dusty and weird to everyone but you. Life will be good. Pinky promise.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 x Juicy Marbles Thick-Cut Filet (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 yellow onion or 3 shallots (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 medium-sized carrots (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 medium-sized celery stalks (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 cups / 200 g brown button mushrooms (cut in half)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup / 240 ml red wine
- 1 cup / 240ml filter coffee
- 4 cups / 1 L vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp flour mixed with 6 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
SERVES 4 / 40-50 MINUTES
preparation
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add chunks of Thick-Cut Filet, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-9 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook them for 2-3 minutes before adding minced garlic.
- Cook for another minute, and then add chopped carrots, celery, and mushrooms along with thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Add tomato paste, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the paste starts to caramelise.
- Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine, vegetable stock, and coffee.
- Add in the cooked Thick-Cut Filet, mix well, and allow to cook for 30 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
- Make a slurry by mixing flour and water, and add it to the stew. Mix until thickened.
- Add the red wine vinegar.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve over creamy mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or with a piece of crusty bread.