Leftover Meat Stew
Description
This is a riff on good old beef stew that I came up with after visiting La Posada in Winslow, AZ, where Mr. Stone Soup and I enjoyed several good meals. The wait staff was kind enough to save our leftover meats (in our case, bacon-wrapped filet, bison short ribs, pork carnitas and wild boar) and we took them home in a cooler. It was about a pound of meat total and was plenty for use in this delicious, hearty stew. This recipe is very flexible--use whatever meat you have leftover--and I mean anything--chicken, pork, beef--it should all work beautifully in this recipe.
Additionally, this is a great recipe to use up any leftover fresh vegetables you want to use up at the end of the week--as long as they are still raw, go ahead and toss them in for a few minutes at the end of the cook. Already cooked veggies will get mushy, so I would avoid them.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat a heavy, preferably cast iron, Dutch oven or other pot (I love using my Smithey 11" Deep Skillet for this recipe) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add some cooking oil--I like pecan oil because it has a smoke point of 470*, but olive oil would be fine, also. Let the oil heat up to shimmering, but not smoking and add the pancetta.
Cook the pancetta until it is done, but not too crispy. Add the onion and saute until it is translucent, then add the garlic and saute for another minute or so, until the garlic is very fragrant, but not yet browning.
Add the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed. Cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the beef broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add more or less beef broth until the stew is to your liking.
Add the herb de Provence, seasonings, potatoes, carrots and celery and stir to combine. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes and check for doneness of the veggies--you want them to be fork tender, but not falling apart--remember--they're going to cook for another 10 or so minutes. [If you have any other veggies that will take 10-15 minutes to cook, this is the time to add those, also.]
Add the frozen vegetables, if using, and the meat. Let the mixture cook for another 7-10 minutes to let the frozen veggies cook and meat heat through. [Don't add the meat too soon--since it's already cooked, it will fall apart if cooked for too long in the stew.] Taste for seasoning and add to taste.
Serve with some crusty French bread and maybe a nice, crunchy, green salad. Enjoy with a beautiful pinot noir, cab or a big, juicy zinfandel. Bon appetite!
