Beef Stew with Root Vegetables and Leeks

Recipe Serves Four (4)

With the winter at our doorstep, this very comforting recipe will find his place at the table. French Traditional stew, we can find some variances all around the world; Here is mine. The secret of this simple meal is the quality on the ingredients. Bon appétit!

• 3 Pounds of Grass-fed American Beef. You can choose a the cut from the butt round or the neck (your roti needs to be well tied up)
• Fresh herbs (4 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of tarragon, 2 sprigs of Rosemary, 3 sage leaves, 2 fresh bay leaves and one bunch of Italian parsley)
• Dry: (½ teaspoon coriander seeds, 2 whole Juniper berries, 2 whole allspice berries, 10 whole black peppercorns)
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic (chopped finely)
• 1 large Spanish (yellow) onion peeled and chopped roughly
• 3 medium leeks (rinsed and chopped 3” inches)
• 4 large heirloom orange carrots (peeled and cut in big chunks)
• 5 medium size Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut in quarters)
• 3 stalks celery (cut into chunks of 2 ½”)
• 2 medium white turnips (cut roughly into cubes)
• 4 parsnips (peeled and cut on big chunks)
• 10 small cippolini (pearl) onions (peeled / keep whole)
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of good dry white wine
• 32 oz organic beef broth
• 1 Teaspoon coarse sea salt

(For sous-vide technique: ground black pepper and salt, one branch of thyme, few sprigs of Rosemary)

Bouquet Garni: Group all fresh herbs together, fold in third and wrap with bay leaves. Tie tightly with Kitchen twine.

Sous-Vide Technique (Traditional Technique also below):

1)     2 days before:

Salt and pepper your meat, put in a sous-vide bag, add a teaspoon of olive oil and herbs. Seal and cook sous vide at 180º F for 48 hours.

2)     4 1/2 hours before serving:

Wash all your vegetables under clear fresh water, strain, and reserve. In a Dutch oven at medium/low heat, add Olive oil and chopped Spanish onions. Stir (with a wooden spoon) until onions turn deep golden. Add garlic and white wine. Stir again and let reduce to half at medium heat. Add carrots, celery, turnips, and cook to golden under medium-high heat. Add the remaining vegetables, stir, and add broth & bouquet garni, all driy spices, salt pepper and pearls onion. Add running water until all vegetables are covered. Cover and let cook with the lid on for two hours at low heat. After the two hours, remove the meat from the bag (add the cooking liquid from the bag to your vegetables) and place meat in the center of your vegetables (Create a hole with the spoon to place your meat halfway down). Put (with the lid on) in oven for two hours at 250º F

Traditional Technique:

Wash all your vegetables until water runs clear, strain, and reserve. In a Dutch oven at medium-low heat, add olive oil and chopped Spanish onions. Stir (with a wooden spoon) until onions turn deep golden. Add garlic and white wine. Stir again and let reduce to half at medium heat. Add carrots, celery, turnips, and cook until golden on medium-high heat. Add all the other vegetables, stir, and add broth, bouquet garni, all dry spices, salt & pepper and pearl onions. Add running water until all vegetables are covered. place your meat in the center of your vegetables creating a hole with your spoon to nestle meat halfway down) cover with the lid. Cook in oven for six hours at 225º F

Wine Pairings (all available at Bonde Wines):

Lindquist Winery, Tempranillo & Syrah 2016, Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley, CA

With a nice flavor of blackberry, plum, savory herb, hearty spice, cedar, his wine comes from a cool climate vineyard - nice acidity and medium body will complement this dish very well.

Savage Grace, Côt 2018, Dineen Vineyard, Rattlesnake Hills, Yakima, WA

This Côt is known as French Malbec. This Loire Valley style brings delicate notes, prominent acidity, savory herb and spices. A nice hearty way to bring out the rustic elements of this meal.

Owen Roe Winery, Cabernet Franc "Rosa Mystica" 2018, Yakima Valley, WA

Nice tannins fade into subtle chocolate, fig, tobacco; lingering dark fruit finish, velvety texture, and earth. A guaranteed “mystical” pairing.