Beef Stew with Dumplings

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 5 lb (2.27 kg) aitchbone (rump/round bone-in beef), meat removed from bone and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
• 0.25 small onion, cut in slices
• 4 cups (about 600 g) potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices
• 0.5 cup (about 65 g) turnip, cut in 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
• 0.5 cup (about 65 g) carrot, cut in 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
• 0.25 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 0.25 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, for thickening
• 1 Salt, to taste
• 1 Pepper, to taste
• 1 Boiling water, sufficient to cover

Instructions

1. 1. Wipe the beef cubes dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dredge with 1/4 cup (30 g) flour until all surfaces are lightly coated.
2. 2. Cut some of the fat trimmed from the beef into small pieces and render in a large frying pan (cast-iron skillet or heavy skillet) over medium-high heat until the fat melts and the pan is lightly coated. Add the floured beef cubes in batches and stir constantly so all surfaces sear quickly. Continue until the meat is well browned on all sides, 6-10 minutes per batch, until deeply mahogany in color with no raw-grey patches.
3. 3. Transfer the browned meat to a large heavy pot (kettle). Rinse the frying pan with a splash of boiling water — this technique is deglazing (loosening and dissolving the browned residue left in the pan to capture its flavor) — and pour the liquid into the pot. Add the remaining rendered fat and the bone, sawed into pieces.
4. 4. Cover with boiling water. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a low simmer (approximately 200-210°F / 93-99°C). Cook, partially covered, until the meat is tender, approximately 2.5-3 hours. The meat is done when a fork slides in and out of a cube with very little resistance and the cubes hold their shape but are not falling apart.
5. 5. During the last hour of cooking, add the carrot, turnip, and onion. Season additionally with salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6. Parboil the potato slices in a separate pot of salted boiling water for 5 minutes, until just beginning to soften at the edges but still firm in the center. Drain and add the potatoes to the stew 15 minutes before removing from heat.
7. 7. Remove and discard the bones and any large pieces of fat. Skim the surface fat from the stew with a large spoon.
8. 8. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup (30 g) flour with enough cold water to form a thin, pourable slurry — this technique is making a slurry (a raw-flour-and-water mixture used to thicken hot liquids). Stir the slurry gradually into the simmering stew. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until the stew is thickened and no floury taste remains. The finished gravy should coat the back of a spoon.
9. 9. Pour the stew into a deep, warmed serving platter and surround with prepared dumplings. Serve immediately.