Sense of Home Kitchen
Beef and Tomato Ragout with Sweet Potatoes
~from the Sense of Home Kitchen, adapted from a 2001 Bon Appétit recipe~
Serves 6
2 pounds 1-inch pieces trimmed boneless beef stew meat
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups red Zinfandel
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup (or more) water
1 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup Creme Fraiche or sour cream
Place beef in a medium bowl and sprinkle with flour, toss to coat. Shake off excess flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter with oil in a heavy large pot over high heat. Working in batches, so as to not over crowd the meat and steam it, add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl. Add onions and celery to the pot; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Return beef to pot. Add wine and bring to a boil, scrapping up the browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about another 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water and dried parsley, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for approximately 40 minutes, adding more water if the stew becomes too thick.
Stir in cubed sweet potatoes and salt and pepper to taste, simmer for another 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add creme fraiche (or sour cream) and cinnamon. Warm to a simmer (careful not to boil) and serve with a thick slice of homemade bread.
Sense of Home Kitchen / Recipes / Beef / Stews
