I’m unfortunately back from Europe and all I can think about is the incredible cuisine. That and my butler Benoy. Still offended that he declined my invitation to come back to the states.
Seriously though. The food in the Mediterranean is ON ANOTHER LEVEL. It didn’t matter which country we were in – Spain, Italy, or France – the food was impeccable. My parents and I marveled at the incredible taste and simplicity of every single meal. Except the breakfast buffet. Hard to marvel at a half a counter full of pastries. That being said, they had every kind of egg preparation you could image and a hefty supply of bacon.
Most of our lunches and dinners started with simple salads dressed in olive oil (duh), balsamic, and fresh pepper. There weren’t 15 different toppings. There wasn’t a crazy dressing. Maybe there was cheese, some shredded carrots, or a few tomato slices. But that was it. And for the most part, the main course was just as simple. Most days involved some sort of fish – usually drowning in butter, beef, and always prosciutto or salami.
This recipe is a recreation of a surprisingly tasty meal from the cruise ship’s dinner buffet of all places. But GOD DAMN it was good. And not to toot my own horn here, but I nailed this recreation. It seriously tastes exactly like the authentic beef stew I had aboard the ship. Dare I say better?
I’m actually surprised it turned out so well because while it was cooking, I had my plumber, Rick, de-clogging the sink. My sink is right next to my stovetop and I’m not 100% sure half a cup of drainage didn’t end up in the pot. Maybe that’s the secret to this dish. Who knows.
I’ve been serving mine over a simple cauliflower mash, but it’s just as tasty on it’s own. Maybe a side salad because #greens. You do you.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 2 hours |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 2 pounds grass-fed beef stew meat
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large russet potato
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 cups mushrooms quartered
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cup chicken bone broth I use homemade
- 2 Tbsp dried Italian herb blend
- 1 Tbsp pink himalayan salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup mixed olives I use kalamata and castelvetrano
Ingredients
|
|
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the stew meat to the pot, making sure to brown every side. Remove and set aside.
- Heat the remaining Tbsp of olive oil in the same pot over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic and chopped onion to the pot, making sure to not burn the garlic. About 2 minutes.
- Once the garlic has become fragrant and the onions are beginning to turn translucent, add the chopped potato, carrots, celery, mushrooms, bone broth, tomato paste, browned stew meat, dried herbs, salt and pepper to the pot. Combine well.
- Top with the bay leaf and fresh rosemary.
- Turn down heat to low, cover and let simmer for two hours.
- After an hour and a half, remove the cover to allow the broth to cook down. Add the olives and let cook another 30 minutes.
- Once stew has reached desired broth consistency, remove from heat and enjoy!