One of the great pleasures of winter, the holidays, and the cold that sets in around this time of year, is the chilly days spent in the kitchen keeping warm and cooking food with your loved ones. There is something so cozy about slow cooking a scrumptious stew in our Staub Cocotte. The slow pace means we can enjoy a cocktail and play with the dogs until our dinner is cooked to perfection.
Some time ago, we tested out Simply Delicious’ Beef Shin Stew with Parmesan Dumplings, and couldn’t wait to make it again. It was just the thing for a wintry Sunday evening. Dumplings make this dish really special, and hearty! The grocery had a beautiful selection of beef short ribs that the butcher laid out before us and let us select the best pieces available. We substituted gruyere in lieu of parmesan for the dumplings. We are so fond of gruyere biscuits, we make them at least once a week!
While at the store, they were not only out of parsnips, but out of parsley too. Yikes! Luckily, our grocer was well stocked in parsley root. Parsley root brings a sweeter taste to the dish than parsnips would. If you can find parsley root, by all means, use it! If not, parsnips will be just fine.
2 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
2 lbs beef short ribs
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 onions, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsley roots, peeled and chopped (parsnips
work as well but only use one)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp of sugar
1 cup of red wine
2 cans (tomato can) of beef stock
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh thyme
10 baby bella mushrooms (small to medium size), quartered
salt & pepper to taste
8 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
1/2cup gruyere, grated
100ml milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
Place the chopped bacon in the cold pot and turn heat to low-medium heat, cooking to render until edges begin to crisp. Remove and save to add later.
Sear seasoned short ribs in the rendered bacon oil and brown on each side. Remove and set aside.
Add olive oil and then add onions, celery, carrots, and parsley root. Cook until tender and fragrant.
Add garlic and bacon. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring throughout.
Mix in tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, wine, and sugar. Bring to simmer.
Pour in both cans of beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and finally the short ribs. Lower the heat, but keep a simmer. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 2 hours.
Uncover and add mushrooms to cook for about 10 minutes, Taste stew and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Add butter, flour, baking powder, thyme, salt and cheese in a food processor and pulse until grainy (like breadcrumbs)
With the processor running, pour milk in slowly until the mix forms a ball.
Form balls about the size of golf balls and add them to the stew while simmering. Cover with lid and allow them to steam for approx 10 minutes.
When dumplings are cooked, serve immediately
No Comments