Winter Stew

Recipes from Bubbie’s Kitchen

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Total time: 60 mins | Serves: 4 |

1 pound stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 quart beef stock
2 cups Bubbies Naturally Fermented Sauerkraut + 1/2 cup brine
1 small sweet potato, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 small red potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks
1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered
2 cups pearl onions, skins removed. (Place onions in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, then peel off skins)
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme, stemmed
Salt and pepper

Prepare meat: salt, pepper, and dust with flour to coat all sides. Put olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add meat in two batches, and brown on all sides. Set aside in a bowl.
Add more olive oil to the same pan, and sauté onion, carrots, garlic, and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
Add red wine and deglaze, scraping bits from bottom of the pan, until wine is reduced by half.
Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved, then add beef stock, 1/2 cup sauerkraut brine, potatoes, mushrooms, pearl onions, bay leaves, thyme and the meat - cover and cook over a low simmer for 20-25 minutes. If stew is too thick, add more stock; if it’s too thin, mix 1-2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup warm stock until dissolved, add to stew and mix well.
Continue to cook on low for 15 more minutes until vegetables are done and flavors are blended. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Garnish each bowl with a heaping tablespoon of Bubbies Naturally Fermented Sauerkraut.