3 lb lean stewing beef cut into 1 1/2-i, n cubes
1 flour for dredging
5 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 salt
1 freshly ground black pepper
12 oz beer
2 lb sauerkraut rinsed and squeezed dry
2 tbsp marjoram
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup pitted green olives, sliced
1 cup cream (optional)
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley for garni, sh
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 325F. Dredge the meat in flour. Heat 3 tablespoons of
oil in a Dutch oven. Add only enough meat to cover the bottom of the
pan without crowding and brown on all sides, scraping and turning the
cubes so that they don't burn. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon
to a bowl, and continue until all the meat is browned, adding fresh
oil as needed. If the oil has burned or more oil is needed, add the
remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot. When it is hot, add the
onions and cook for 6-to-7 minutes more, stirring frequently until
they are light brown and soft. Stir in the garlic. Add the meat,
salt, pepper, beer, sauerkraut, marjoram, brown sugar, celery seed,
bay leaf and olives and stir to mix well. Cover and transfer the
casserole to the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. After the
meat is tender, remove the bay leaf, skim off any excess fat and stir
in the cream, if desired. Add the parsley.
Servings: 8 servings
Belgian Beef Stew Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Beef; Beef Stew; Dutch Oven; Meat; Soup
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as an idea can be observed back into the distant past, in truth as far into history as ancient Egypt, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, these, ancient cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic recipes for meal preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to food historians are a few tablets in the Sumerian language which show the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel `wonderful`. Progressing into Roman times around 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a few documents detailing recipes cooked by wealthy roman citizens. In his scrolls, he tells us how the roman meals were split into appetizers, entrees and desserts, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius also informs us how the ancient Romans were skilled in the use of many herbs and spices, including many that are still in use today such as thyme, rue and asafoetida. Later on in the 1400s, people returning from the crusades brought back many foods and spices from Arab cuisine, including spices such as basil and coriander. The introduction of these new foods and spices created a surge in books on cookery, some of which are kept safe in private cookery archives. For the next few years, the powerful and wealthy competed to offer the most extravagent banquests, and because of this chefs and their recipe collections were at a premium. Notwithstanding that, it was during the 1800s that cookery and recipe publications became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collating, verifying, and recording recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. By the advent of the twentieth century, cook books were in great demand, as a result of higher levels of literacy, more spare time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Belgian Beef Stew recipe.
