Scottish Beef Stew

This cold wet winter weather has me craving warm and comforting meals. I've also been favoring one-pot dishes that we can live off of for daysss. Like this stew for instance. It's looking a little sad in this picture because this was actually the last bowlful (had to wait for that natural light). So now that I've really talked it up, here are some tips on how to make this stewpendous meal. ;)

Now you may be thinking, what makes this stew Scottish? Well, besides adding specificity to the title, there's also whiskey as opposed to the traditional red wine option. Red wine offers a more rich flavor I think whereas whiskey brings a light saltiness to the dish. The key to a killer stew is to make sure you brown your meat. Even if you're cooking yours in a crockpot, take the time to brown the meat in a pan on the stove top, cook the onions in the drippings then transfer to a large pot and finish cooking it low and slow.


Scottish Beef Stew
2 TBS vegetable oil
Around 2 lbs of chuck or round, cut into chunks
2 TBS plain all purpose flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
2 large onions peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
2 TBS red currant jelly OR cranberry sauce
1/2 cup whiskey (brand of your choice)
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
20 oz. of beef stock water
2 TBS tomato puree
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
4 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tsp dark brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste


Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 325F
2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the chunks of beef in the flour and fry the beef for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over. Add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the jelly, then pour in the alcohol and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the carrots, potatoes, stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, rosemary, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil then place a lid on and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours – stirring a couple of times during cooking (alternatively you could transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours) - it's pretty much impossible to overcook this.
Serve topped with a little fresh rosemary and some freshly cut bread.