Cool fall and cold winter nights call for an easy beef white bean stew. This classic combination can be made early in the day and allowed to simmer for eating at leisure, or throw together in a couple of hours with some planning ahead.
Classic preparation for an easy beef and white bean stew
Beef and white bean stew is a preparation that stems from classic French cooking. Often called cassoulets that were slowly braised larger cuts of meat, these are hearty dishes that invoke fantasies of red wine. They were and are still often prepared by chefs with various tougher cuts of meat that cook slowly. Sometimes chefs would combine more than one protein such as cured pork cutlets and red meats such as lamb, beef, or game. These were slowly cooked until falling off the bone and the meats became soft. They were a classic layman dish for field workers in colder weather. No wonder they are notoriously comforting food.
Classic ingredients for an easy beef and white bean stew
Modern grocery shopping and convenience has removed some of the trouble for us. Boneless beef stew cuts of meat are often easy to find the grocery store, and usually quite affordable. Even the cheaper cuts of meat work here. However, be forewarned that some grocery butchers use this as an opportunity to pass of tougher cuts that don’t braise very well. Even though they become soft they may shred into a sawdust dry texture despite the moist braise. For this reason many chefs turn to cuts they can break down themselves such as brisket, short ribs, or chuck roll. Obviously we aren’t going to recommend these larger cuts for this recipe. If you are able to find chopped chuck roll that is a safe bet. Or you can often but a smaller piece and cut into cubes which will probably be more cost effective.
Other classic ingredients:
Other classic ingredients for an easy beef and white bean stew are mirepoix-carrot, onion, and celery. You will also see many of the same aromatic elements in these types of stews, such as bay leaf, thyme rosemary, and garlic. For a rich base, tomato paste or chopped tomato, and red wine are added.
If going for a lighter, clearer style broth you can remove these. It will turn out more like a soup and less like a stew. Some people even add flour or roux when cooking the meat to add a thickening agent. Chefs usually do this when cooking larger cuts such as bone in short ribs or lamb shanks. An easy trick for this without having to add roux is to roll the meat in flour before searing. In either case the beans will also lend some starchiness to the dish and thicken as well. You can also serve this over steamed rice for a super hearty meal.
Easy Beef and white bean stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Beef chuck roll diced into 1.5 inch cubes
- 1 cup White beans soaked overnight in water. use plenty to cover and compensate for expansion.
- 4 ounces Carrot peeled and medium dice
- 4 ounces Onion peeled and medium dice
- 3 ounces Celery medium dice
- 2 ounces Garlic finely chopped
- 2 pieces Bay leaf
- 5 ounces Tomato diced, or 2 tbsp tomato paste optional
- 1 quart Beef stock
- 1 quart water
- 1 each thyme sprig
- 1 each rosemary sprig
- .5 tsp Sea salt
- .5 tsp Black pepper
- .5 cups Red wine dry
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. If you are using a whole piece of chuck roll or similar cut, dice into large pieces. Keep in mind they will shrink with cooking. If planning ahead, soak the white beans overnight or as little as 1 hour to help them cook more quickly and evenly. Drain the water after soaking and discard.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the saute pan and sear with the canola oil. Lower the heat to brown evenly.
- When the meat is browned add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic, Continue to cook over medium heat until translucent.
- Add the tomato and cook until soft, then add the beans, stock, water, and aromatics. Cover and lower to a simmer. Cook for about 1.5-2 hours or until beans are soft. Skim excess fat from top if needed and adjust seasoning to taste with salt. Bon appetit!
