Skillet Beef Stew

Today I'm sharing about 2 of my favorite things - cast iron and quick, easy meals.  My guys love a warm hearty meal especially during these chilly winter months but sometimes, there are just not enough hours in the day and dinner time can be a little underwhelming.  So, I've been working on ways to bring new dishes to the table that can be made in a short amount of time, have familiar ingredients and most importantly are scrumptious.

Well friends, I hit a bullseye! This skillet beef stew has all the essence of that wonderful dish that's been cooking away for hours but my version took about 45 minutes!  I let my big cast iron skillet do all the work by searing the beef to perfection then delivering even more flavor to the sauce.

Of course, from time to time I'll make that traditional pot of beef stew but this recipe is one of my new go-to dishes for a busy, hungry family...

Skillet Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs of beef stew or beef tips
2 carrots
6 to 8 baby potatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley

• Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Wash, peel and roughly chop carrots.  Wash potatoes and cut in half.
• Layer carrots and potatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes until just under fork tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet - I use cast iron.  Place beef in pan making sure meat is in a single layer. Season with salt & pepper. 
• Sear beef on all sides. Once meat is done, remove from pan and set aside.
• Lower heat on skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt.  *There should be about 3 tablespoons total of fat in the bottom of pan.  Sprinkle flour in pan and whisk until mixed with fat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan.  
• Using a microplane, grate garlic into pan. Cook flour mixture and garlic on low heat for 1 minute stirring constantly.
• Slowly add in wine and whisk until flour mixture is completely incorporated. Add beef stock, stir and raise heat to a low boil.
• Add in beef and vegetables.  Continue to cook until sauce thickens and all ingredients are heated through.  
• Sprinkle in salt, pepper and parsley stirring gently.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Serve with a green salad and warm bread.