Rich Brown Stew With Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and dried herbs. Set aside.
• Season the short ribs with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Place a large griddle over medium-high heat and once a drop of water bounces off, sear the meat until browned on all sides. Once browned, remove the meat to the bowl with the paste and toss to coat. Transfer to a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and seal tightly. Place the package into a metal pan and put into a cold oven on the middle rack. Set the oven to 250 degrees F and cook for 4 hours.
• Remove the meat from the oven and carefully poke a hole in the pack while holding it over a heatproof container. Drain the liquid into the container and place it into the refrigerator to cool enough so that the fat separates from the rest of the liquid, approximately 1 hour. After 1 hour, transfer the liquid to the freezer and keep there until the fat cap has solidified, approximately 1 hour. Allow the ribs to sit at room temperature while the liquid is cooling or if serving the next day, place in the refrigerator until ready to finish.
• Retrieve the liquid from the refrigerator and remove the fat cap that has formed on top. Measure out 1 tablespoon of the fat and reserve the rest for another time. Place the fat into a large saucier and place over medium heat. Once the fat has melted add the onion along with the remaining teaspoon of salt and stir to separate the onions into rings. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes along with a pinch of black pepper and stir to combine. Next, add the liquid reserved from the meat and stir. Cover tightly and decrease the heat to low so that no heat is escaping the lid. Cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Meanwhile, cut the meat away from the bone, removing the connective tissue and discarding. Once the potatoes are tender, uncover and set the meat atop the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Tip in enough beef to cover the base of the pan in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the beef on each side, turning until it has a deep brown crust all over - this will give the stew a deep, beefy flavour. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon and continue cooking until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, then tip in the onions, reduce the heat to low-medium and sizzle for 8-10 mins until soft, stirring and scraping the base of the pan to lift any browned bits.
• Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and tomato purée. Stir for 1-2 mins until the spices are sizzling and aromatic, then tip in the chopped tomatoes and chipotle paste, if using, and crumble in the stock cubes. Return the beef to the pan with any resting juices, pour in 1.2 litres water, season and bring to a simmer.
• Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hr 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, tip the lentils into a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak. Drain, then add to the stew, cover again and continue to cook for 45 mins more, or until the beef and lentils are tender.
• Tip in all the beans, return to a simmer and bubble for 5 mins until the beans are warmed through. If your stew is soupy and you prefer it thicker, boil, uncovered, for a few minutes more until reduced to your liking. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or chipotle paste, if you like; it may also need some sugar depending on the tomatoes you've used (add up to 2 tsp). Will keep chilled for two days or frozen for two months. Leave to cool completely first.
• If making the tortilla croutons, cut the wraps into small triangles and heat enough oil to cover the base of a deep frying pan. Fry over a medium heat for 2-3 mins, tossing in the pan until crisp. Or, simply crumble tortilla chips to make a quick, crunchy topping.
• Serve the stew in bowls topped with your choice of feta, soured cream or yogurt, coriander, avocado and sliced chilli, lime wedges on the side for squeezing over and the tortilla croutons. Grind over some black pepper, if you like, before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. For more teeth-friendly croutons, remove the crusts from the bread, then cut the loaf into inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into inch-wide strips. Working over a large bowl, tear each strip into inch-size pieces. Alternatively, you can tear croutons directly off the loaf, as long as you get somewhat evenly sized pieces.
• Toss croutons with olive oil to coat them evenly, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a second sheet as needed to prevent crowding, which will entrap steam and keep the croutons from browning.
• Toast croutons for about 18 to 22 minutes, checking them after 8 minutes. Rotate the pans, switch their oven positions, and use a metal spatula to turn and rotate the croutons so that they brown evenly. Once they begin to brown, check them every few minutes, continuing to turn and rotate. Some croutons might be done when others still need a few more minutes of baking, so remove them from the tray and let the rest finish cooking. Bake the croutons until they're golden brown and crunchy on the outside, with just a tiny bit of chew on the inside.
• Taste a crouton and adjust the seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt if needed. Let croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

Steps:

• Mix together in a bowl, dry mustard, cornstarch, adobo seasoning, salt and pepper; add stew beef and stir to coat.
• Spray a large non stick frypan generously with veggie spray and heat to medium. Add stew meat mixture and cook, stirring for 3 or 4 minutes; add beef broth and mix well. Add celery, carrots, onion, drained tomatoes and jalapeño if using. Mix well and bring to simmer; cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Add potato pieces and continue simmering covered for 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
• (You can add the potatoes to the stew meat mixture or boil the potatoes separately and serve the stew over them, or boil and mash them, your choice).