Texas-Tuscany Beef Stew Recipe

One Hearty Meal

Even during the hottest days of summer, I dream of this amazing beef stew. Best of all, this stew is easy to make and even easier to eat!

The stew’s signature ingredients? Chianti-marinated beef brisket and a Texas jalapeño or three!

Foodie Tip:

❤  If you like tummy fillers like I do, you can serve the stew on top of rice or noodles. One thing we enjoy is that instead of boiling rice/pasta in water, we substitute water with beef or chicken broth for an extra-special flavor.

Ingredients: 

3-5 Pounds  |  Beef Brisket (get a good cut)
3-4 Cloves  |  Garlic, Halved
1 Bottle (750 ml)  |  Italian Chianti Wine
4 Tablespoons  |  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Taste  |  Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2-4 Cups  |  Beef Broth
3-5 Medium-Sized Carrots  |  Peeled And Cut Into 1″ Pieces
3 Stalks  |  Celery, Chopped Into 1/2″ Pieces
4 Medium  |  Russet Or Red Potatoes, Cut Into 1-1/2″ Chunks
3 4 Inch Sprigs  |  Fresh Rosemary, Chopped

Plus Ups:

1/2 Cup  |  Kalamata Olives, Halved
2 Leaves  |  Sage Or Bay
2-3  |  Jalapeños, For A Texas-Inspired Kick
To Enjoy  |  Rice Or Noodles (Optional)

Accessories:

To Cover  |  Cling Film
To “Pat” Beef Dry  |  Paper Towels
To Brown  |  A Dutch Oven Or Large Pan
To Cook  |  A Crock Pot (Or Slow Cooker)

Directions: 

1. Place the beef into a 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish. Cut 6-8 “slits” in the brisket and insert the garlic halves. Pour the wine over the meat and marinate in the refrigerator, loosely covered with cling film, for 2 hours (overnight recommended). Turn the meat over and marinate here and there.

2. Remove the brisket from the wine and “pat” it dry with paper towels. Reserve the wine.

3. In a large Dutch oven or large pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper.

4. Using tongs, place the meat in the pan and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes for each side. Remove the meat and place it into your Crock Pot.

5. In the pan, pour the reserved wine, scraping up any brown bits. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer into the Crock Pot.

6. Add beef broth to almost cover the beef. Cook on low Crock Pot setting for 2-2.5 hours.

7. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes and rosemary (plus the olives, sage and jalapeños, if desired). Cover and continue to cook on low setting for another 2-2.5 hours, or until tender.

8. [ Sidenote: The beef may already be soft and falling apart before you cut it! In this case, skip this step. If not… ] Remove the meat from the stew. Place the meat on a cutting board and cut into quarters. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return the meat to the stew and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

9. Serve with a glass of Chianti and enjoy!

Love this recipe? We want to hear from you!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Great Entertaining : Raclette Style

“Raclette … Whaaat?”

“Raclette” is derived from the French word for racler, meaning “to scrape.” Modern day raclette refers to a classic Swiss dish where cheese is melted under an electric broiler then scraped and topped on a wide variety of ingredients, traditionally roasted potatoes, cornichons (tiny pickles) and onions. My raclette machine has a granite top that – when heated – serves as a grill plus it has 8 removable toaster trays that rest under a broiler to cook the accompaniments, like melted cheese. Check out my suggested ingredients below! 

Raclette In Action

Going out on the town is always fun, but hosting small gatherings in your own home served with a stylish and unforgettable presentation of food makes for priceless memories and great times – that’s why entertaining is one of my passions! We love inviting friends and family over to enjoy fun and unique dining experiences enjoyed at home. Our raclette machine is always a big hit as the centerpiece of many fun indoor grilling gatherings.

Let’s watch a brief video of the racelette experience:

Why Raclette Will Make You A Hero

Like fondue, raclette is best enjoyed as a social eating experience. We like to jazz things up and make a big spread of all kinds of veggies, meats and seafood so our guests can get creative … and they do! The culinary combinations are entertaining, endless and delicious.

A Few Of Our Favorite Raclette Ingredients …

• Cheese: Fontina, Raclette, Gruyere, Provolone (any melting cheese!)
• Meats: Bacon, Prosciutto, Thinly-Sliced Filet Mignon, Shrimp, Lil’ Smokies
• Veggies: Asparagus, Sliced Bell Peppers, Fingerling Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, Zucchini
• Sweets: Apples, Bananas, Pineapple
• Sidekicks: Butter, Olive Oil, Pesto, Olives, Bread, Mini Fillo Shells, Seasonings, Wine + Your Favorite Friends And Family

From sweet to savory – once you’ve gathered your ingredients let your inner foodie’s creativity guide your meal: Melted cheese and onion topped on prosciutto, apples with gooey cheese on top, grilled shrimp with bacon, and one self-proclaimed masterpiece we created called “bananas fauxster” – sliced bananas sprinkled with brown sugar, butter, Texas pecans and then toasted. The recipe for this sweet delight is below!

A Few More Raclette Tips

Since you cook-as-you-go when you raclette, it’s usually a fun process that can easily last an hour to several. We like to start with veggies and savory meats … take a break then have a delightful dismount with the sweets.

Mini Fillo/Phyllo Shells were one of my favorite unexpected discoveries. You can find them here in Austin in the freezer section at HEB. They require no defrosting; simply fill the cups with your favorite ingredients and toast them for a few minutes and you’ve made crispy, melty magic. One of my fillo favorites is to pour a bit of Fischer & Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce into the cup then top with a  wedge of melting cheese. Place your dish in your toaster tray under the raclette grill’s lower level. When it toasts up, it’s a-ma-zing!

You’ll undoubtedly have leftover ingredients after the big meal. We tossed small potatoes, onions and veggies into our silicon egg rings, topped with eggs and cheese and made some delicious “omelettes raclette” – you can do this on the raclette itself or on stovetop (see pic below).

So now on to the “Bananas Fauxster” recipe! With origins to the 1950s in what has become a famed French Quarter restaurant “Brennans” Bananas Foster is a delicious ending to any fantastic meal. My raclette version (a.k.a. “fauxster”) adapts the original recipe for the raclette and it incorporates two of my favorite Texas ingredients: Texas Pecans and Pecan Street Rum, which is distilled outside Austin in Pflugerville.

Step 1: Place sliced bananas in your raclette tray and top with pieces of butter, some brown sugar and a sprinkling of chopped Texas pecans and a splash of the Pecan Street Rum. Place the grilling tray to the lower level of your raclette and let it toast-up 2-3 minutes or until bubbly brown.

Step 2: Transfer the bubbly banana mixture to a bowl or serve inside a fillo shell. You can also accompany the dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra decadent treat.

Ready To Raclette, Right ?!

If you’d like some suggestions for where to score your very own raclette magic, try these retailers:

Bed Bath & Beyond
Williams Sonoma

All this raclette talk has made me hungry so let’s get to grillin’. Enjoy!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
512-222-3302

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes! There’s more than 50 of them here on the Home Style Austin blog!

DIY : Italian Housewarming Basket

One of the most important of Italian traditions is to celebrate and welcome friends and family to their new home. This “recipe” is an easy way for you to honor their life event.

The items below have great significance and when combined, make a thoughtful and memorable gift from you to them!

Ingredients: 

Bread  |  So you will never go hungry
Wine  |  So you will never go thirsty
Salt  |  Sprinkled around doors and windows, for good luck
Olive Oil  |  Which represents good health
A Candle  |  Symbolizing light
Wood  |  To bring peace, harmony and stability to your new home

Tips:

For The Bread: We like giving an artisan loaf of Rosemary Bread from Central Market.

For The Wine: You can only “go right” with an Italian red. We found this Piccini Chianti at our local Twin Liquors.

For The Salt: We gift gray sea salt; it’s flavorful and prized by cooks around the globe.

For The Olive Oil: Try a first press olive oil in a glass dispenser to show-off it’s distinctive gold and green color.

For The Candle: We put an aromatic candle inside a decorative votive holder.

For The Wood: A high-end wooden cooking utensil – perhaps olive wood – will do the trick and will remind them of you each time they’re cooking in the kitchen. Here in Austin try Sur la Table.

What To Do:

1. Arrange the goodies in a small basket lined with a fabric napkin.

2. Top the basket treats with a handmade card (ours is shown above) with a printout of the ingredients list; when the recipient reads the history and learns the significance of the items, a smile (sometimes a tear) comes to their face.

Enjoy!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.