Good Eats Beef Stew

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Stew Romance

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (46)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(46)

Cook Time:
4 hr 30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 35 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Cook: 4 hr 30 min
Total:: 6 hr 35 min

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Ingredients

1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs, any combination of thyme, oregano and rosemary
3 pounds English-cut short ribs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled and diced small
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and dried herbs. Set aside.

Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Place a large griddle over medium-high heat and once a drop of water bounces off, sear the meat until browned on all sides. Once browned, remove the meat to the bowl with the paste and toss to coat. Transfer to a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and seal tightly. Place the package into a metal pan and put into a cold oven on the middle rack. Set the oven to 250 degrees F and cook for 4 hours.

Remove the meat from the oven and carefully poke a hole in the pack while holding it over a heatproof container. Drain the liquid into the container and place it into the refrigerator to cool enough so that the fat separates from the rest of the liquid, approximately 1 hour. After 1 hour, transfer the liquid to the freezer and keep there until the fat cap has solidified, approximately 1 hour. Allow the ribs to sit at room temperature while the liquid is cooling or if serving the next day, place in the refrigerator until ready to finish.

Retrieve the liquid from the refrigerator and remove the fat cap that has formed on top. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the fat and reserve the rest for another time. Place the fat into a large saucier and place over medium heat. Once the fat has melted add the onion along with the remaining teaspoon of salt and stir to separate the onions into rings. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes along with a pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Next, add the liquid reserved from the meat and stir. Cover tightly and decrease the heat to low so that no heat is escaping the lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Meanwhile, cut the meat away from the bone, removing the connective tissue and discarding. Once the potatoes are tender, uncover and set the meat atop the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
Genesis Mesa, AZ 02-02-2010
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Worth the wait!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is one of my favorites from my favorite Foot Network chef! Try it! I've tried this multiple times with multiple... visitors and every single one of them LOVE it, too!Read more
recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
Larry morrisville, NC 01-24-2010
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re: Kevin,, Sofrito not Soffritto
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Try Sofrito , not Soffritto, which is spanish, while Sofrito is Spanish,, hope that helps.
recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
Kevin Hollywood, CA 01-20-2010
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mirepoix, soffritto, bottitto?
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Love AB for his info, but did he get his culinary terminology wrong? While cooking the stew, he stops to talk about a... Mirepoix which is french for onions, carrots and celery. But then he says the italian version is called a bottoto similar to a spanish soffritto. I have looked and looked for more informaton on a "bottoto" and nothing comes up in italian. Instead the word soffritto comes up as italian and not spanish like AB pointed. Not nit picking but if he had actors dressed up as three different culturs, someone took the time to do some research. Can someone fill the rest of us in on what the Italian version of a mirepoix is really called?Read more
recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
J L Grand Prairie, TX 01-13-2010
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Alton is a genius.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am making it for the second time right now. The flavor of that meat is to die for. I,too added carrots & small onions to... the potatoes, just becuase my family expects it. I also found using store-bought stew meat in no way is cheating. He is right about the flavors being best if kept separate. Actuall,he is right about everything.Read more
recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
Louis Livingston, NJ 01-09-2010
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Unbelievably Good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this last weekend, following the recipe almost exactly. The meat was tender without being mushy, and full of flavor. ... Everybody loved it. I used a blend of sweet and hot smoked paprika, and the flavors were fantastic. I also added carrots with the potatoes. Although it takes a long time to cook, it doesn't require any work while it's braising, so the preparation time is a little misleading, because it's much easier than you would think. I will make this many times, and experiment with different flavoring combinations (next time I'm going to add a chopped habanero to the braising mixture). Thanks Alton for another fantastic recipe.Read more
recipe Good Eats Beef Stew
Naomi Brooklyn, NY 01-08-2010
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Best beef stew ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I can't get over how good that was. I followed the recipe exactly, except for adding a bit of rosemary to the potatoes since... I had it on hand. Couldn't have asked for a better meal. The paprika I used was smoked and I think that added a lot to the flavor. To me the amount of tomato paste and vinegar was perfect, not overwhelming.Read more