SUBTLY SPICY, SOFTLY HOT, SLIGHTLY SWEET BEEF STEW
Serves: 6-8
For the marinade:
1 bottle (750 ml) red wine, preferably fruity but dry 1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce 3 tbsp (45 ml) gochujang (Korean red chili paste), or more or less to taste 5 quarter-sized slices of peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Cilantro stems, reserved from gremolata, below (optional) Scallion greens, reserved from gremolata, below (optional) 3 lb (about 1.5 kg) beef stew meat (see note)
For the stew:
3 tbsp (45 ml) canola or other neutral oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, trimmed, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry 6 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 4 pieces each
3 garlic cloves, germ removed and sliced into slivers 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into slivers 1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh cranberries
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
2 cups (500 ml) beef broth
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
2 points star anise
Pinch of black peppercorns A small sliver of cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf
A strip of orange peel (save the orange for the gremolata)
For the gremolata:
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely sliced 2 tbsp (30 ml) minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp (5 ml) finely grated peeled fresh ginger, or more to taste 1 tsp (5 ml) finely grated or minced garlic, or more to taste Finely grated zest of 1 orange (orange reserved from stew) Fleur de sel or fine sea salt Cooked rice, quinoa or egg noodles, for serving (optional)
Working ahead:
The stew is tastier if you marinate the beef overnight or even up to 3 days in advance, and it’s easier to skim off whatever fat accumulates during cooking if you chill the broth for a couple of hours before serving time. You can also make the stew itself up to 3 days ahead. The gremolata can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated.
1. Marinate the beef in a Dutch oven or a zipper-lock plastic bag.
2. Mix the wine, soy sauce and gochujang together until blended, then add the remaining marinade ingredients and stir. Add the meat and turn it around so that it is submerged; cover or seal and refrigerate overnight. (The meat can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
3. When you’re ready to cook, transfer the beef to a plate lined with a triple thickness of paper towels. Cover it with three more towels and pat dry. Strain the marinade into a bowl; discard the solids. If some of the solids have stuck to the meat, remove and discard them (without being too fussy).
4. To make the stew: Warm 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
5. Add the beef in batches — don’t crowd the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, turning to brown all sides, about 8 minutes.
6. Let each side of the beef get dark before turning it and browning another side. As the pieces brown, transfer them to a bowl.
7. Pour off the fat from the pot and add the remaining tbsp (15 ml) of oil. When it’s hot, add the onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, turning as needed to colour the vegetables — don’t be afraid of getting a little char here and there.
8. Add the vegetables to the beef in the bowl. Lower the heat and toss in the garlic, ginger and cranberries. Cook, stirring frequently and taking care not to blacken the garlic and ginger, until the mixture is fragrant and the cranberries have popped. Scrape over the beef and vegetables and stir.
9. Return the pot to high heat, pour in the water and cook, scraping the bottom, until you’ve picked up all the browned bits and most of the liquid has evaporated.
10. Return the beef and vegetables to the Dutch oven and stir in the broth and all the remaining ingredients, including the reserved marinade.
11. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
12. Transfer the beef to a bowl — be gentle, as you want to keep the pieces intact. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables, herbs and spices (they’ve done their job and they’re too tired to be good now).
13. If you’ve got time, put the broth in a shallow pan and freeze it until the fat rises to the top so you can skim it off and then reheat the broth when needed.
14. If you want to serve the stew now, skim off as much of the fat as you can. Taste the broth for salt and pepper, return the meat to the pot and reheat.
15. Meanwhile, make the gremolata: Stir all of the ingredients together. (You can make the gremolata a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.) I like to serve this in wide shallow soup plates, although bowls are fine.
16. If you’re serving rice, quinoa or noodles with the stew, spoon it into the plates or bowls and top with the beef. Ladle over the broth and sprinkle with gremolata, or pass the gremolata at the table.
Storing: Stored in an airtight container, leftover stew can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Note: You can make the stew with boneless stew meat or you can mix it up with a few chunky bonein cuts, like oxtails and short ribs, which will add more flavour and texture to the mix. Play around and see what you like, remembering that bony cuts usually have less meat and more fat, so you might have to increase the amount you need for the stew.
Serves: 4
4 cups (500 g) brussels sprouts
4 large cooking apples (Cortland or Granny Smith) 7 tbsp (100 ml) butter
4 large pork chops
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 large sprigs fresh dill, chopped
1. Remove outer leaves from brussels sprouts and set aside. Cut the sprouts in quarters. Cut apples, peel on, in small wedges.
2. Heat half the butter in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and brown in the hot butter for 2 to 3 minutes a side, or until cooked. Remove meat from pan and keep warm in a low oven.
3. In the same frying pan over medium heat, heat remaining butter until sizzling hot. Sprinkle sprouts and apples with salt and pepper and fry, turning regularly, for 5 to 6 minutes, until lightly browned and beginning to soften. Stir in sprout leaves for the final minute.
4. Cut cooked pork chops into thick slices and combine with the sprouts, apples and pan drippings. Serve sprinkled with dill.