Election Day

I put out my garbage Tuesday morning and then went to vote. I was the 23 person to vote in my precinct, BTW.

When I got home a little after 4:00 PM from work, I immediately started making that beef stew. I’d thawed out the meat on Sunday, if you remember, and didn’t want to end up pitching it.

But, I’m not making my fancy beef stew (in the recipe section) with the dumplings, although the dumplings sound good (I make extra light dumplings). I’m just making this one up.

So, first I made my mise en place. I peeled a very long carrot and cut it into one-inch sections. Then I peeled four small to medium-sized russet potatoes and cut them into chunks. Next came two yellow onions, peeled and cut into quarters. Finally, I peeled three garlic cloves and left them whole.

Next, I put two cups of regular flour in a bowl. I added a lot of kosher salt and even more fresh ground pepper and whisked it together. I wish I’d thought to season the meat last night as I think it tastes better that way. But, I didn’t.

I cut up four thick strips of bacon with the kitchen shears into 1/2 inch slices (easiest way to make lardons) and put them in my Dutch oven to render down the fat. I pulled out the bacon and set them aside to cool (I just wanted the fat).

Then I got out the pound of stewing beef and put about half in the flour mixture. I shook off the excess flour and dropped the meat into the oil. I am doing it in batches because I don’t want to crowd it. I want the meat to brown, not braise. I pulled off the first batch of meat, stuck it on a plate and into the microwave to stay warm. I did the second batch and put that on the plate as well.

Then I took the veggies and threw them in the pot. I kept tossing them around with a wooden spoon until they were all brown. Then I took one of those little bottles of wine (I used a red Cabernet Sauvignon) I buy for cooking. They are 187 ml or about 3/4 cup. I poured that in and deglazed the pot. Then I put the beef back in and added about 1/2 pound of big button mushrooms, quartered.

While the wine was reducing, I went out on the patio to get some fresh herbs. The frosts have not been kind to my herbs. I would have liked some rosemary, but it and the basil have been killed off. So, I settled on flat leaf parsley, oregano, thyme and just a little tarragon.

Back inside, I made my bouquet garni, by tying the stems together with kitchen string, tying the other end to the Dutch oven handles and throwing it in (this imparts the flavor while making it easier to fish them out, later). The wine was about half gone, so I took a box of beef stock and almost covered all the stew (I’m still trying to decide about those damn dumplings, LOL!) I added a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a couple of bay leaves. I brought that up to a boil and then turned it to a slow simmer.

I set the timer for two hours. It may take three. But you do need to check it every now and then to stir it and make sure the liquid isn’t too low. Oh, yeah, for a no muss, no fuss method, you can just stick it in an oven set at 325 degrees F., but that seems like a waste of gas to me. That’s why I don’t use the oven to make my chicken stock, although it’s highly recommended. Gas is expensive!

I gave in and made the dumplings by whisking together dry ingredients (two cups flour, four teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of salt), and then adding just enough milk (less than a cup) until mixture is thin enough to pick up with a wet teaspoon, but still stays in a rounded mound.

I took out the bouquet garni and the bay leaves. Then I brought the stew back to a boil, stirring to avoid sticking. Next I dropped spoonfuls of dumpling batter on top, but not touching each other (Note: this is the most important thing for fluffy dumplings! The gravy should be low enough that the batter is touching the vegetables. If your gravy is too high, grab a spoon and throw some away. Be ruthless! Dropping the dumpling on the liquid makes them soggy!!) I turned the burner to simmer and cooked them uncovered for 10 minutes, and then I put the lid on and cooked them 10 minutes more.

I went in and wrote this all down so I wouldn’t forget it. Then I went in to watch the election coverage. I hope this time it turns out like I want or I swear to God I’m moving to another State!

When the dumplings were done, I went and fixed myself a bowl of stew and a dumpling. The gravy was a bit strong (I should have reduced the wine a bit more, I think), but all in all it tasted pretty damn good.

Since I don’t have to work tomorrow, I stayed up and watched the election results until after 1:30 AM. It mostly went the way I’d hoped, so I was pleased. We’ll see...

Before I went to bed, I put the cooled stew into freezer containers. I got two four-cup containers full. I’ll let them chill in the fridge overnight and then stick ‘em in the freezer tomorrow.