This Beef Stew with Warm Spices is a perfect autumn dish. Soothing aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaf and cloves create a cozy, homey feel that we long for in the colder months. Deep flavours of the rich, hearty gravy, tender chunks of beef and creamy potatoes is pure comfort on the plate. This is a true family meal, and a perfect prelude to a snug night curling up on the sofa with your loved ones.
The Flavour Affair:
Beef + Shallots + Garlic + Ginger + Baharat + Nutmeg + Bay Leaf + Red Wine + Tomatoes
Warm and sweet, pungent and aromatic, the sauce has layers and layers of flavours that open up during cooking.
Beef: you can use braising beef or ribs for this recipe.
Shallots and Garlic: an essential duo in meat stews. They impart deep, savory flavours to the sauce and create an inviting smell that always draws everyone into the kitchen!
Ginger: a knob of fresh ginger brings in sharp, spicy notes. At the same time, it also gives the stew a touch of brightness with its penetrating aroma.
Baharat is a sweet and pungent Middle Eastern blend of ground spice. Typically, it features cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cumin, coriander, nutmeg and allspice. It adds an instant flavour boost and lots of depth to stews, soups and vegetable dishes.
Nutmeg: although already present in the Baharat seasoning, there its flavour is overshadowed by ‘louder’ cinnamon and cloves. Yet, it has prominent woody notes that just hit the right spot for me in dishes like this one. So, I add an extra tea spoon of freshly ground nutmeg into the gravy – to make sure it’s noticeable and appreciated.
Bay Leaf: optional but recommended. Bay leaf pairs very well with nutmeg and contributes with earthy, herbaceous, slightly bitter undertones.
Red Wine: adds an acidic element to the sauce and enriches it with its own flavour nuances.
Tomatoes: create the bulk of the sauce and round it off with sour, umami-like notes.
Preparation Tips for Beef Stew with Warm Spices and Baby Potatoes:
- Use an iron-cast, heavy-bottom casserole. These pots are amazing at maintaining steady temperatures and distributing the heat evenly inside.
- Get a piece of braising beef that has some fat in it. As the dish cooks, the fat will dissolve into the meat, making it more succulent and tender.
- Cut the meat into large-ish chunks and brown them first from all sides to seal in the juices.
- When it comes to ginger, you can add it in the beginning or towards the end of cooking. The longer it cooks, the milder it tastes, so if you want to retain ginger’s lingering spiciness, grate a knob into the sauce just before turning the heat off.
- Use red wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer until it reduces by about a half for the alcohol to evaporate. If you don’t want to use wine, swap for chicken stock.
- If you don’t have Baharat, there’s a couple of alternatives. First option is to substitute it with another warm blend like Garam Masala or Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Otherwise, pop in a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves – that will give the gravy that deep sweet warmth we are after.
- Once you’ve stirred in the spices and tomatoes, give the sauce a little time to simmer before tucking in the beef in order for the flavours to blend.
- Cook the meat over the lowest possible temperature, either on stove top or in the oven. Slow cooking is key to getting tender beef that’s not burnt or dry. Depending on the size of pieces, it can take 2-3 hours.
- For the last 30 minutes of cooking, pop in baby potatoes or regular potatoes cut into large chunks. They will absorb lots of flavours from the sauce, and you will have a whole dinner in one pot.
Serving Suggestions:
This is a meal on its own, but if you want to have a side, roasted root vegetables would be a great option. Otherwise, just gets lots of fresh bread to mop up the delicious gravy!
Looking for more ideas to give your beef stew a different outfit? I wholeheartedly recommend my Hawaij Beef Stew with Zhoug!
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Beef Stew with Warm Spices and Baby Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 large iron cast skillet
Ingredients
- 1 kg braising beef cut into large chunks
- 2 shallots sliced
- 4 garlic cloves bruised
- 7 cm piece of ginger grated or thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp Baharat blend see notes
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or 2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 150 ml dry red wine
- 200 ml tomato passata
- 0.5 kg baby potatoes
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat cooking oil to high and sear the chunks of beef from all sides (do it in batches to not overcrowd the pan). Transfer to a plate.
- Add shallots and garlic to the same pan and cook for a minute or two.
- Deglaze the skillet with red wine. Scrape the brown bits off the sides of the pan and stir into the wine. (See notes)
- Stir in the spice blend and ginger and add the tomato passata. (See notes)
- Sprinkle over grated nutmeg and give everything another good stir. Gently simmer for 5-10 minutes for the flavours to blend.
- Tuck in the meat. It should be covered by about 2/3. If there is not enough liquid, add chicken stock or water.
- Put the lid on, lower the flames to the minimum and allow to bubble gently for 2-3 hours until the meat is super tender.
- Pop in the potatoes and cook until done.
- Serve as is, with lots of fresh bread to mop up the yummy gravy.
Notes
- You can use chicken or vegetable stock in place of wine.
- Instead of Baharat, you can use 7 spice blend (which is a different name for it) or another warm seasoning such as Garam Masala or Jamaican Jerk.
- You can skip a spice blend altogether and pop in cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves instead. If you do that, add them together with shallots and garlic.
- If you want a more prominent gingery taste, grate a knob of fresh ginger into the gravy towards the end of the cooking (just before turning the heat off).
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