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Mar 03, 2013 at 06:51PM vs Mar 03, 2013 at 06:51PM
Mom's Camping Beef Stew—America's Test Kitchen Style
This is a variant on [Mom's Camping Orange Beef Stew](/recipe/22) which uses the same flavourings as the original recipe, but borrows the technique from [America's Test Kitchen Beef Stew](http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=21334).
This variant uses higher quality meat, and skips the marinating step. This makes the meat much easier to sear, as it isn't so sodden with orange juice. It also includes more carrots and potatoes for a heartier stew.
Choose a chuck roast with lots of marbled fat in it.
- 2 to 2.5 pound chuck roast
- 2 tbsp. oil (canola or other oil with a high smoke point)
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 2 anchovy fillets, minced, or a splash of fish sauce (amount?)
- 4 carrots
- zest of one orange
- juice of above orange, plus enough store-bought to make 10 fluid oz. orange juice
- 2 sprigs rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 14 oz. of canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 or 2 tbsp. tomato puree
- 1 c. beef stock
- 4 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into chunks
- 1 tbsp. mint
- 1 tbsp. cilantro
- 1 ½ oz. (couple tablespoons) flaked almonds, toasted
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
If you have a big chunk of fat in your meat, pull the chuck roast apart at that point. Trim off any large areas of fat and cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Place onto a paper towel on a plate and cover with another paper towel. Pat dry. The drier the meat, the easier the sear.
Heat oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, a stew pot, or a fry pan, at high heat. Fry meat until seared and golden all over, a little at a time. Fry in batches and do not crowd the pan. Do not rush this step. Tip: I find the best way to get a good sear is to go away and do something else. Go read a book or something.
Remove the seared meat from the pan, admiring your delicious fond.
Mash the garlic in a small bowl with the anchovy or fish sauce.
To the same pan, add onions and cook for 2 mins, scrapping up any brown bits. Add the carrots, garlic/anchovy mash, cumin, and rosemary and cook a few minutes more until fragrant.
Add the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, orange juice, and beef stock. Scrap up any brown bits still left at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and then transfer to the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
After 1 1/2 hours, remove pot from oven. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with mint, cilantro, almonds. Serve with rice if desired.
Serves 4.