La Lama Mountain Ovens
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The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family - with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.

This is a cookbook-in-process project. If you try any of these recipes please let us know how they turn out, whether or not you had any difficulties, and any clarifying improvements you might recommend to make them foolproof. We will of course acknowledge genuine "test-kitchen" assistance.

Family Secrets #33

The Ultimate Beef Stew

By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens

With my rather adventuresome taste, I have tried all types of stews, from Dinty Moore’s to extremely complex concoctions utilizing exotic ingredients and complicated techniques. The end result was to return to the basic dish that mom used to make.

Beef stew in our family went through an evolution of sorts. My mother's recipe for stew was passed to our sister Gloria, who added her refinements to the recipe and the results were excellent. CeCe and I have added our little twists as well, evolving our version of the "ultimate beef stew".

The best stewing beef comes from the chuck. Although it is very flavorful, beef chuck has a tendency to be a little tough and chewy. The object of this recipe is to retain that great beef flavor and transform the rather chewy beef chuck to fork tender. This recipe also takes a little extra care with the vegetables so that they retain their integrity and individual flavors. The resulting dish is tender beef with identifiable vegetables in a flavorful and rich gravy.

When I purchase the meat for this dish I like to start with a 3 pound bone-in chuck roast, then cut and trim the beef myself, and cook the bone with the stew. However, using pre-cut stewing beef from your local supermarket is perfectly acceptable.

Beef Stew

• 2 lbs. well trimmed stewing beef
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil
• 2 Tblsp. butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 Tblsp. salt pork, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1-½ Tblsp, flour

• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups brown stock (or beef broth)

• 3 medium carrots, ½ inch pieces
• 3 large potatoes, 1 inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, cut in strips

Trim any excess fat and remove any signs of gristle. Cut the beef into bite sized cubes.

Step Two: Brown the beef and combine first 7 ingredients

Place butter and olive oil into a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add beef cubes, salt pork, and onion. When beef is browned and onions are translucent add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over all. Rapidly stir the mixture until the flour is absorbed.

Step Three: Cook the stew and add the next 9 ingredients

Add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, celery, parsley, white wine and brown stock. Bring to a slow simmer for one hour. Cover with a lid slightly askew, to prevent excess reduction, and continue cooking at a low simmer for an additional hour.

Step Four: Add three remaining ingredients and finish the stew

Add the carrots, potatoes and bell peppers. Slowly simmer the stew until the potatoes are done: approximately 1 hour.

When finished, adjust for salt. Add a little more brown stock if you prefer the stew a little thinner. Enjoy this hearty beef stew with a nice garden salad, a crusty slice of home made bread, and a glass of red wine. After serving four there should be enough left for a couple of second helpings - a requirement in our house.

This is one of those recipes that seems to get better with age. Making the stew a day ahead improves the flavor. Reheat gently until all the ingredients are hot throughout.

Altitude Adjustment: At 8,000 ft add an additional ½ cup brown stock and increase over all cooking time by about twenty minutes.