Roasted Garlic Beef Stew

I have made this stew about 5 or 6 times since 1997 (whoa that’s a long time ago :/).   A whole beef tenderloin can be pretty big and usually I cut off a portion to use for another time.  This piece was cut from our Christmas beef tenderloin roast, so I froze it with this recipe in mind.

I love the combination of vegetables in this recipe and I even add mushrooms!  But you can use any of the vegetables you like.  A lot of the reviewer only use carrots.  You could also use fresh beans or frozen peas.  Just add them to the vegetable mixture at the appropriate time so they are not overcooked.

Roasted Garlic Beef Stew (from Bon Appeit, Too Busy to Cook? November 1997)

12  large garlic clovers, peeled

1/2 T butter melted

1/2 T olive oil

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoon flour

2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks to measure 2 cups

5 (or more) carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks to measure 2 cups

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks to measure 2 cups (keep covered in water so they don’t brown)

1 rutabaga (may only need 1/2 depending on size), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks to measure 2 cups

8 mushrooms, cleaned and dried and cut into quarters, to measure 2 cups

1-1/2 cups boiling water

4 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon Roast Beef Base

1 cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place garlic in glass pie dish, and pour 1/2 T melted butter and 1/2 T oil over top, toss to combine.  Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Cool slightly and then mash garlic with a fork.

While garlic is baking, make beef broth by adding Better than Bouillon to boiling water.

Make sure to cut beef into at least 1 inch pieces or larger.  Make sure they are all the same size.  This is a very tender piece of meat and doesn’t take long to cook.  The bigger and more even the pieces the better.  Place beef on a large sheet of wax paper.  Sprinkle beef with salt, pepper and 1/2 T of flour.  Turn beef pieces over and repeat procedure.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large pot over medium high heat.  Saute beef for 6 minutes, turning beef half way through.  Do not overcook.  Set aside on a plate.

Add vegetables, broth, wine, herbs and roasted mashed garlic to pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer vegetables for 25 minutes until tender.

While vegetables are simmering, mix 1 tablespoon of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.

Return beef to pot and add butter/flour mixture, stirring to combine.  Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve immediately.

mis en place:

garlic:

prepping and sauteing beef:

add vegetables, broth, wine, herbs and garlic to pot:

bring to a simmer and cover:

add butter/flour mixture:

then beef:

simmer for 2 minutes and serve immediately: