Winter Beef Stew With Apricots And Prunes Food

WINTER BEEF STEW WITH APRICOTS AND PRUNES

Steps:

• In 6 quart electric slow cooker, mix together beer, brandy, Worcestershire sauce, marmalade, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, pepper and flour.
• Reserve 1/2 to 3/4 c of this beer mixture.
• To the mixture remaining in slow cooker, add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, apricots and prunes.
• Mix well.
• Cut the beef in half horizontally so you end up with two pieces, each about 1 and 1/2" thick.
• Add to slow cooker.
• evenly pour the reserved beer mixture over the top.
• Cover and cook on the low heat setting 10-11 hoursor until the beef and potatoes are tender, stirring once during the cooking time if possible.
• Taste and season with more cinnamon and nutmeg if desired.

BEEF STEW WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Place a deep skillet or casserole that can be covered over medium-high heat, and add oil. Brown meat well on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper, for 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon.
• In same pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and tomatoes with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. When they soften, about 5 minutes, stir in paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Return meat to pan, and add stock and wine; bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If mixture starts to dry, add a little water or stock.
• Remove cinnamon and bay leaf, and stir in sugar and prunes. Simmer until prunes and meat are soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (Dish can be made in advance to this point; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.) When meat is very tender, uncover pot and add vinegar; if necessary, raise heat so sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

SPICED BEEF WITH STOUT & PRUNES

Steps:

• Pat the beef dry using kitchen paper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole, and fry the beef in batches over a high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer the browned batches to a bowl using a slotted spoon as you continue frying the remainder.
• When all the meat is browned, heat another 1 tbsp oil in the casserole, and fry the onion for 12 mins until soft and pale golden. Stir in the allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, juniper berries, and a generous grating of nutmeg.
• Pour in the stout and cook over a medium heat until it has reduced by half. Stir in the stock, carrots, sugar, bay leaves and some seasoning. Return the browned meat to the pan, and bring the mixture the boil. When it's boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 1 hr 30 mins, stirring and checking the seasoning every so often. In the last 20 mins of cooking time, stir in the prunes (if you do this any sooner, the prunes will fall apart).
• Meanwhile, peel the baby onions and fry these in a small frying pan in the remaining oil over a medium-low heat until golden on the outside and soft in the middle (you may need to add a little stock or water to the pan to help them soften, if they're slightly bigger). The baby onions should be tender, but not falling apart. Stir these into the braise, check the seasoning again, and scatter over the chopped parsley before serving.

BEEF STEW WITH ALMONDS AND DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper. In 2 batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. To pot, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion, and garlic and cook over medium until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
• Return beef to pot; stir in broth, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, lemon zest, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook 45 minutes. Stir in dried fruit and cook, uncovered, until meat is fork-tender, 35 minutes. Stir in almonds; cook 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf, parsley sprigs, and lemon zest. Serve stew over brown rice and top with chopped parsley.