Stewsday

For the last couple of years now, I’ve been trying to get a special event.. nay, culinary and gastronomical tradition.. up off the ground and celebrated in as many places as I could influence. Last year, it was all set to happen: I had a plan, a mission and I was possessed of the drive to follow through and do it. I was just going to be the one guy doing it but damn it all if I wasn’t going to through with it anyway. Somehow, though, I was thwarted. Somehow, I had missed the window of opportunity to enact this endeavor and, consequently, that year was devoid of my tasty, tasty schemings. Having failed to carpe my diem then, I had to wait until such a time when next the occasion would present itself.

..which brings us to this year. This year, dear gentlemen and ladies, I managed to do it. This year it actually happened. And furthermore, it became an effort that extended beyond just the one mere person. This year, this first year, I wasn’t alone in my pioneering travails: I inadvertently wound up inspiring a small number of people around the country (and even in Canada) to follow suit and join me in my praises. Hallelujah!

So, that all said, I began my efforts to usher in a brand new tradition this year. This year I introduced to the world the idea of Stewday Tewsday (otherwise known as Stewsday).

Now what is this glorious invention? Well, it’s delicious, for starters, because who doesn’t like stew? Stewsday is a weekly celebration (and preparation) of stew every Tuesday¹ during the chilly months of autumn and winter. While it’s specifically the tried and true (trew?) beef stew we’re talking here, the definition of stew is loose enough to include such things as chili, coq au vin, braised short ribs and, heck, thick gravyish soups made from leftover Thanksgiving turkey (which, by the way, I did wind up making).

Are you on board yet? Good.

So, why the special occasion? Why the deliberate effort to encourage the creation of this dish? Because stew is hearty and warm. Stew is satisfying and filling. And served with a nice loaf of toasty bread (I’ve developed a particular fondness for Ciabatta with my stews), stew is an awesome way to spend a chilly New England evening when the nights seemingly stretch out forever and the sun becomes a bittersweet memory as early as 3:30 in the afternoon. (Not an exaggeration, I assure you).

Yes, stew..

From mid-November this year to the last Tuesday of 2009, I made some kind of stew each week and shared it among friends, singing the praises of this joyous cause for foodie goodness. In particular, I brought said stew to work with me where coworkers and I could then bask in (often) beefy joy together. In that span, I made 7 different stews, each one an opportunity to try and learn something new. So not only were we getting tasty stew out of the observance, it was a great way for me experiment in the kitchen in trying out different innovations each week.

Hooray for stew!

For the next couple Tuesday posts, I will share with you some of the beef stews I made in that time and even a Brunswick Stew as provided by guest contributor, Kitchenqueen. Mind you, the one pictured above is the Guinness Beef Stew. The one below is not. Just saying.

Now, all that being said, it’s still winter, folks. (Well, in the US, anyway.) What are you doing to celebrate Stewsday?

¹ Do note that the fundamental requirement of Stewday Tewsday is the celebration of stew on Tuesday. This means said stew can be prepared Monday and served Tuesday or prepared Tuesday and served Wednesday. Either way it goes down, a stew happening of some sort takes place on Tuesdays.

Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce

what you’ll need

• 2 lbs beef stew meat
• 2 15-oz cans of tomato sauce
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 4-5 carrots (peeled, chopped)
• 2 bunches celery (trimmed, chopped)
• 3-4 potatoes (peeled, chopped)
• 1 c peas (optional)
• soy sauce
• ground black pepper
• 1 T thyme
• 2-3 bay leaves
• water
• vegetable oil

what to do:

1. In a large pot, add just enough oil to cover the bottom and sauté garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Add onion and cook until transparent.
2. Add beef, coating the pieces with a dusting of pepper and thyme. Allow the meat to brown, turning occasionally. Drain pot of fluids, reserving liquid.
3. Add potato and allow it to come into direct contact with the pan in order to encourage it to brown. The pan needs to be dry in order for this to happen.
4. Add tomato sauce, remaining vegetables and bay leaves. Reintroduce pan fluids. Add just enough water so that all the ingredients are submerged and add a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of soy sauce to the mix. Mix well.
5. Allow the mixture to boil. Bring heat down to simmer and partially cover pot.
6. Let cook for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. The meat should break apart with the somewhat aggressive prodding of a wooden spoon. Stir every half hour or so to prevent the burning of ingredients that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Ensure that potatoes are cooked thoroughly, occasionally smashing a potato bit against the side of the pot with the wooden spoon to thicken the sauce.
7. Completion is determined by three things: meat tenderness, potato doneness and sauce thickness. When you have achieved all three, you’re done. Discard bay leaves when ready to eat.