16 October Sunday

Give me a V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. What does it spell? WIN!!!

There are several significant associations I have with beef stew. One is my paternal grandfather who made beef stew in a strange sort of vessel which was very lightweight and had grooves or dents in it. I don´t remember exactly. Beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, water, salt, pepper. He loved it, I loved it, we loved it.

One bitterly cold winter night when might brother lived on Noble St. I think in Chicago, we decided to make beef stew and drink Greyhounds whilst watching the academy awards. I don´t remember who won what, but the stew filled the apartment with stew smells, and it was really delicious. Even though it was nearly a decade ago, I still recall that we added orange zest to the beef, which was especially good.

Another was a Christmas, I´d say 2015, when my folks visited, and I didn´t really have any food. My mom suggested we get a pot roast at the corner store, which was open, and we made a slow cooked pot roast. It was amazing. Clovey.

There are several others, including today. I would have added a photo, but we were so hungry. Then I thought I would take a picture of the leftovers, but there were´nt any.

I went to the church and led the choir rehearsal, I played the service, I went to the coffee hour and chatted with the people. I gathered my belongings and said goodbye and went on my merry way. I went to the local grocery store, bought all the aforementioned items at a discounted price, hopped on the local train that whisked me away to my two room apartment in the Mission District.

I seared the beef pieces then removed them and laid a bed of onion quarters, carrot branches, bay leaf, and thyme. Then, a flash flood of pinot noir, submerging the bouquet. Once the whole thing came to boiling point, the beef was dropped like smother blankets to calm and quell the whole situation. A treaty is signed on a piece of parchment paper, which is then laid on top of the stew to dry and embolden the beef with truth. It then goes into a moderate oven for four hours. Three hours in, we remove the casserole from the oven and take out the bouquet garni. We replace with fresh chopped carrots and quartered mushrooms that have been sauteéd in butter beforehand. See how I did that devilish move?

I told you to make something with something that had already been made. Have you come across this in a cookbook? Many fools, fools, think that a short recipe will result in shorter cooking and prep time. Fools. Don´t fall for this. Some short recipes call for several ingredients which are in themselves recipes. If it says 2 tbsp. tomato raspberry coulis (pg. 47) and a dash of spicy-spring splendor seasoning (pg. 488) well, that sounds like a bit much.

The stew was so delicious, there was none left over for leftovers. I am usually bummed to have leftovers, but with stew, it´s a whole nother ball game. Stew will generally improve with a few days age. Sadly, this general stew has no days of age with which to improve.

Now, you´ll forgive me this last memory I have with beef stew, and it pertains to the title and first line of this post. If you are of a certain vintage, you may remember the TV show Strangers with Candy. If you are not familiar, watch it. In the show the family´s local butcher is named Stu, and the puns abounded. Every time I make stew, I announce to no one, ¨That´s a lot of beef, Stu!¨ Also, Jerri Blank.