Beef Harvest Stew

This is my first invented Beef Stew. I saw Rump Roast on sale tonight, so went with 3.5 lbs of it. For the rest, 5 onions, two shallots, two heads garlic, 2 cups beef broth, 1 october fest beer (or any amber), bacon, spices.

The key to this dish (as all beef dishes) is in the browning process. This was complicated. Cubed beef and doused in flour, salt, pepper. On the side I crushed 4 cloves garlic (maybe 6 depending on size). Then heated bacon fat (saved from all those mornings of crispy bacon) and half slice of bacon in skillet until very hot (I used a total of half pack bacon). Added several cubes of beef (but not crowding pan). After one side was browned, I added a tsp of crushed garlic to pan and kept turning beef cubes until all browned. The bacon would get crispy, and I would remove if almost burned--adding another half-slice after removed. The beef was browned nicely and the garlic would be almost black, and I would remove beef and garlic, leaving bacon grease in pan for next few pieces of beef. Then I added more bacon to make more grease, added beef, garlic and browned. I repeated this step until all the beef was browned. I had a few slices of bacon left when I was done, so I cooked that with remaining garlic until browned and deglazed pan with glob red wine and little butter. After alcohol cooked off, I set that aside.

Then in pot, I heated 1-2tbls butter and more bacon grease. Add 5 sliced onions and let cook until mostly soft. Added bacon/wine/garlic deglazed stuff from skillet into onions and let cook 2 more minutes. I made sure that onions had released significant amount of liquid and then added beef on top of onions. Let sit for 2 minutes crushing 6-8 more cloves garlic on top of beef. I made up bouquet garni (five sprigs thyme, three sprigs oregano, 3 leaves sage, one sprig rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley). Added two cans beef stock, bouquet, salt, pepper, two cloves, chopped shallot, three garlic cloves mushed, two tbls brown sugar and bottle of beer. Let bring to boil and reduced to simmer for three hours.

After two hours, I added sauteed mushroom quarters. These were quartered mushrooms, sauteed in 2 tbls butter and a little olive oil, salt, pepper. Sauteed until browned. Added to stew after 2.5 hours.

In skillet mushrooms were browned in, I added a few ladels full of liquid from stew. Then added tbls butter and shallot and 2 tbls flour. I whisked this on medium heat until thoroughly mixed (almost like a roux, but without long-term browning). Added this to stew and cooked through. Total cooking time was 3 hours.

I served over sliced sweet potatoes browned in butter and brown sugar. Perfect October meal.