Red wine has always been my go to for beef stew…it gives it such a rich flavor. But as I was putting a pot of stew together this past Sunday I realized we were out of red wine. And in good old Minnesota there are no liquor stores open on Sundays which left me no option but to try something new…and the only thing I could come up with that had potential was balsamic vinegar. Its rich and bold and so savory. Ill never go back…peace out, red wine. This is the real deal, right here. Best beef stew I have ever made.
Savory Beef Stew
Notes: Allow the squash to cook down all the way until it simply becomes part of the sauce…it makes a wonderful thickener and gives it such flavor. This stew is perfect on its own but also great served over mashed potatoes or polenta.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Pounds Beef Stew Meat
1 Tablespoon Tapioca Flour (all purpose flour will work here, too)
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Cup Cubed Butternut Squash
4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 1/4 Cups Beef Stock
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Cup Frozen Peas
Directions
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Sprinkle the beef with flour and toss it well to coat. Add beef to the pot and brown on all sides until a nice crust is formed on the outsides. Remove from pot and set aside. Add the onion and squash to the pot and cook, over medium high heat, until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme and sauté for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir until most of the liquid is cooked out, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Add the beef back to the pot, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until the beef is fork tender and the squash is completely broken down. Add the carrots to the pot and cook, covered, for an additional 15 minutes or until carrots are cooked through. Stir in the peas and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Serves 4-6
nourishedpeach.com 
Looks awesome – on my list to try this week. One question – how do you cube your squash? Do you partially cook it or trim skin off, kind of like how you’d cut a watermelon? Squash is so hard to cut!
Great to hear from you Kelly! Squash can be such a pain to cut. Yes I use a really sharp knife and cut it like a watermelon. Lately tho I’ve been buying it already cut and cubed at Costco in the produce section…it’s super affordable and organic and it makes cooking with butternut squash SO much easier. They also sell it already cut at trader joes. Let me know your thoughts when you try out the recipe:) hope you and your boys are well!
Yummy!!!! 😘😘
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