Busy. I’ve been busy. I’ve been in 3 cities in the last 5 days, Honolulu, Santa Barbara, and only a day in LA in between. All the stuff was really good stuff, and I’m feeling pretty invigorated by the pace that’s been set recently, but man, does it put a strain on my unwinding time in the kitchen. To ensure that Daniel didn’t starve to death while I was gone, I slow roasted a pork shoulder (his favorite) and convinced him he’d love one of my beloved do-ahead classics, this amazing beef stew. He had a boy’s weekend with his dad and with the pup, and by the time I got back into town yesterday, everything had been thoroughly enjoyed. Now, what to cook next…
This stew is an amazing winter dish. If we’re being proper, we’ll call this a Daube–it’s a french layered stew, simple and delicious, and nothing could be simpler. This one takes on an East Asian personality with layers of spice and heat that make it even more satisfying. Oversized cubes of beef and big hunks of veggies get a red wine and citrus marinade overnight, then a long slow simmer with rich beef stock. It’s a long list of ingredients, but honestly, it’s all in the prep. I swear. Since nothing needs to be browned, this hearty stew can even be done in a crockpot (busy girl’s best friend, right?). In fact, it’s one of those magical dishes that actually improves when it sits for a day in the fridge, so the only thing to do before dinnertime is cook up some rice or egg noodles, and chop up the persillade topping that brings a bright freshness to the bowl with it’s kick of raw garlic, grated citrus zest and parsley.