Pioneer Woman uses beer but I personally don’t use alcohol so I replaced it with non-alcoholic beer. Mashed potatoes, crusty bread or buttered noodles are great sidekicks.Pioneer Woman’s beef stew includes fresh cubes of beef mixed with some winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Serve the stew with minced flat leaf parsley and freshly minced thyme. Stir this mixture into the stew to thicken the sauce. Once the vegetables are tender, mix one tablespoon of potato starch with one tablespoon of cold water. This should take about thirty minutes or so. Continue cooking on a gentle boil until the vegetables are tender. Once the beef is tender, after about one and a half hours, add the rutabaga and carrots. The stew should be very gently bubbling away on a low flame. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot and cook the stew for about one and a half hours. Bring to a boil and adjust the salt and pepper. Once the beef is browned, stir in the reserved onions, garlic, vermouth, beef broth, tomato paste, dried thyme, paprika and sugar. You want nicely browned beef and some caramelization on the bottom of the pot. Too much beef in the pot at one time will steam rather than brown the beef. Brown the beef in batches, if you have to, so you don’t crowd the pot. Add a little more butter and oil to the pot and brown the beef on all sides. Once the onions have softened, remove them and set them aside. Add some butter and oil to a dutch oven or pot and saute the onions, sprinkling some salt and pepper on them as they cook.Gently bubbling away, it’ll fill your home with the intoxicating aromas that only beef stew with wine can produce. But there’s minimal prep work, so it’s one of those fix it and forget it recipes. The stew takes about two and a half to three hours to cook on a low simmer. I reach for it often to deglaze a pan or to use in stews and gravies. It’s economical, as there’s no need to open a full bottle of wine for a single recipe. It’s fortified with herbs and spices, making it a good choice for savory dishes. I use a couple of good splashes of dry vermouth in this recipe. Dried thyme and fresh thyme lends additional layers of flavor. But white turnips are what Ree calls for and they’re wonderful too. I use part of a rutabaga instead of regular white turnips because I love the subtle sweetness of rutabagas. Viola, instant thick, glossy gravy with and no fussing with a roux. Once the stew is done cooking, mix one tablespoon of potato starch with one tablespoon of cold water. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand I find in my market. You can find it online or at the supermarket. It’s my go-to, hassle-free thickener for soups, gravies and stews. To thicken the stew, I use potato starch mixed with water. They’re added toward the end of cooking, so it’s important that they’re not too large or else they’ll be underdone. Make sure you cut the vegetables thin or small so they cook properly. It’s a classic beef stew that will leave you with a cozy feeling and a smile on your face. I modified to suite my personal taste by adding more vegetables and herbs. It can also be made the day before you’re going to serve it, giving you more time to relax. Perfect for Sunday suppers with the family and friends. This savory stew is adapted from Ree Drummond’s Beef Stew with Root Vegetables.
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