Braised beef and white bean stew
This deeply satisfying, balanced (savory yet bright!) stew, full of beef and beans with roasted garlic, herb and lemon, might just be my new favorite winter comfort food dinner. Maybe yours too?
“Comfort food” lives up to its name, generally, but also tends to come with a price: often in the form of carbohydrates (mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc.) — and while beans have starch, they are less carb-laden and have protein, iron, and fiber, so I don’t feel guilty or as concerned about my weight after thoroughly enjoying this dish.
This stew comes together in one large pot on the stovetop, simmering for 2 – 3 hours, and in addition to being delicious also (in my opinion) provides excellent aromatherapy benefits.
Starting with dry beans is important — they hold up well while the beef is braising, softening but never becoming mushy the way canned beans do. Dried herbs, however, are not recommended — use fresh for this.
You’ll need a large skillet or enameled cast iron braiser in a minimum of 3.5-quart size, and I recommend using a microplane (also known as a rasp grater) for zesting your lemon.
A lightly dressed green salad and some crusty bread & butter go perfectly with this.
Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pound boneless chuck roast
½ pound of dry “great northern” white beans, soaked in water overnight and drained
3-inch (~7.5 ounce) yellow onion
1 whole head of garlic
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Morton Kosher salt (if you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use 1.5 tsp)
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cups reduced sodium beef broth (I use Better than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Roasted Beef base, mixed into hot water)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (if for some reason you don’t like or can’t find fresh rosemary, fresh thyme is an acceptable stand-in here)
1 14.5-ounce can of unsalted petite-diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
Zest of one lemon
1 – 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
WHAT TO DO:
The day before you want to make/serve this, soak your beans overnight in a large bowl of water, draining them just before you begin the remaining steps. That half-pound of dry beans will become one pound after soaking.
Cut the chuck roast into bite-size cubes, trimming and discarding any excess fat, and toss with the salt and pepper in a bowl to coat. Here I started with a 2-pound roast, and after trimming had just over 1.5 pounds.
Cut the onion in half lengthwise (from top to root end) and peel away the outermost layer or two. Slice each half thinly.
In a large (3-quart) enameled cast iron braiser or stainless steel sauté pan, heat two tablespoons of the oil over medium-low and sauté the onions until translucent, 3 – 5 minutes.
Remove the onions to a small bowl or plate and set aside. Increase heat to medium. Working in two batches, add a tablespoon of the oil to the pan and brown the beef on all sides, 5 – 10 minutes per batch, removing each to a plate when finished.
While the beef is browning, peel a few of the outer layers from the head of garlic, then slice off the top quarter inch or so to expose the cloves inside. Some outer cloves may sit further down from your initial cut; you can cut the tops off of those individually. We want as many exposed clove tops as possible since we’re going to squeeze them out later.
Reduce heat to low. Add the tomato paste, onions, rosemary, diced tomatoes with their juices, and broth to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the beans and beef (including any juices on the plate). Tuck the head of garlic into the center; it should be just slightly submerged.
Simmer over low heat uncovered, stirring occasionally without disturbing the garlic (do ensure the top of the garlic stays in the liquid so it doesn’t dry), for 2 – 3 hours until liquid has reduced and thickened to a sauce, the beans are softened but hold their shape, and the beef is tender. Turn off heat and carefully remove the head of garlic to a small plate to cool. Cover the pan to keep the stew hot.
When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze all the cloves out onto the plate and mash them to a rough paste with a fork.
Add the garlic and lemon zest to the stew and stir gently until combined. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.