There's no need to add salt to this recipe. The herbs and spices provide a powerhouse of flavor. It is incredibly, melt in your mouth delicious.
Serves 8-10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time including marinating: 4 hours
Ingredients:
3 lb. sirloin or other cut of beef
Marinade:
2 cups red wine
12 sprigs fresh thyme (2 tsp. dried chopped)
8 sprigs fresh savory (1-2 tsp. dried summer savory)
2 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
12 cardamom pods (1-2 tsp. ground)
2 stick cinnamon (1/2 tsp. ground)
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
Instructions:
Combine marinade ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from stove and set aside to cool, allowing the flavors to infuse the wine.
Meanwhile, cut meat into cubes and place in a zipper-type plastic bag. When the marinade has cooled, add it to the beef and seal. Marinate for 1-1 ½ hours in the refrigerator—turning once.
Stew:
1 ¼ cup carrots, sliced
1 ¼ cup celery, diced
1 ½ cup yellow onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cardamom
Sea salt to taste
½ Tablespoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions:
Remove meat from marinade and pat dry with paper towel or clean dish towel. In a large pot, brown meat in 1 tsp of oil. Remove meat.
Add carrots, celery and onion to the pot and cook until beginning to soften. Add cooked meat and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add broth and remaining spices. Bring to a simmer and cook until meat is tender about 1 to 2 hours depending on type of meat.
Terri’s Tips:
Serve meat over herbed gnocchi or egg noodles.
Add a cup of cubed potatoes and serve with crusty bread—omitting the noodles
Try a Zinfandel for the marinade
The marinade can be made ahead and stored. It can also be canned or frozen, making this stew a simple dish to prepare- true comfort food
Cooking wiser:
Taste the stew before adding the salt, most likely you won't need it
You can save money by using a less expensive cut of beef, the marinade provides lots of flavor and the wine will tenderize the meat