The recipe for Beef & Noodles I used creates a rich, delicious beef stew, thickened with the starch from the homemade-style noodles. The basic recipe calls for beef, onions, garlic, beef broth and noodles. I had a couple of carrots that needed to to be used, and I thought "it's beef stew, carrots won't hurt," so I added those as well. That was an excellent addition, the sweetness from the carrots accentuated the sweetness from the onions and it produced a fantastic stew. It was definitely one of the the dinners that makes me think I'm a good cook. It was so good, dearest had to take the Dutch oven from which I was licking the last bits of gravy to wash it. It was that kind of dinner.
As I savoured the stew at the table, I commented to dearest that meals such as this made me feel sorry for the royal classes in Medieval times. Stews are considered to be "peasant food" and were not suitable fare for the landed gentry class. I always feel sorry for the landed gentry -- they do not know what they missed! There is something undefinably good about a stew. Perhaps it's the way the meat is cooked until it is falling apart. I tell dearest all the time if I could find a vegetable protein source that mimics the taste and texture of roasts that have been cooked until they are literally falling apart, I would happily become a vegetarian. I don't have roasts often, but when I do I remember what is so good about them. Perhaps the innate goodness in this particular stew comes from the noodles absorbing the flavours from the beef broth, and then give up some of their starch, which helps transform the broth into a rich, thick gravy. (Aside: the difference between a gravy, and a sauce, is that gravies are created from the pan juices/drippings of the meat with which they are served, while sauces are made in a clean pan with ingredients that have no connection to the dish with which they are served.) Whatever the magic is, this stew is something that you should not pass up.
Beef & Noodles
1 pound boneless beef round steak or chuck roast
1 medium onion, diced fine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups beef broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces homemade or frozen noodles
- Trim separable fat from meat and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- In Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil.
- In two to three batches, brown meat on all sides in hot oil, removing beef to small bowl when brown.
- Add remaining tablespoon butter, onions, garlic and carrots to Dutch oven, cooking over medium heat until soft.
- Return all meat, and any juices, to pan.
- Add broth and pepper.
- Bring to boil over medium heat.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender.
- Return stew to boiling and add noodles.
- Cover and simmer for half an hour, or until noodles are soft and gravy has thickened.
- Serve in shallow bowls with bread and butter, if desired.
Adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 2007 Celebrating the Promise Limited 14th Edition
My observations:
- I adapted the recipe by adding the carrots and by not dusting the beef cubes in flour.
- I used dried homemade-style noodles. The recipe definitely needs noodles and not pasta; do not substitute pasta for the noodles.
- My noodles absorbed a good deal of water, and I had to add about a cup of water during the simmering. Even with the additional water, the starch from the noodles thickened the gravy to a lovely consistency.
- I tend not to salt dishes unless the recipe calls for it, but you may feel this recipe needs a bit of salt.
- This recipe makes 4 main dish servings. I would not try to stretch it further than that; if you need more than 4 servings, increase the recipe accordingly.
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