Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

With the cooler weather upon us, the Office Cooking Club as been bringing in heartier meals. Last week, Aaron prepared a delicious vegetable lasagna, while I prepared Roasted Mushroom Risotto the week before that. Seeing as it's my turn again, I used the recent rainy weather in New York as motivation to formulate and execute this beef stew recipe. Though, to be honest, it looked completely different in my head.

The main reason for that was the type of potato I planned on using and the type of potato I actually used. I wanted to use sweet potatoes, so that's what I ordered from Fresh Direct. Technically, that's what I got, sweet potatoes:

(Photo courtesy of Fresh Direct)

But, in my head, I saw the sweet potato that was copper in color and moist in texture. I wanted these:

(Photo courtesy of Fresh Direct)

Fresh Direct calls these potatoes "jewel yams," using the descriptor of "sweet potato" as a secondary name. Bah! So, I made the mistake of ordering the wrong thing and should have ordered the "jewel yams." *sigh*

So, I began preparing the stew this morning with a cloud of disappointment surrounding me. I knew it wasn't going to look the way I wanted, and I was worried that the flavor would be compromised. The sweetness of the sweet potato is subtler than the sweetness of the jewel yam, and I had originally wanted to capitalize on the copper color since I wasn't planning on using carrots. All I could do was cross my fingers, have faith, and wait.

Folks, let me tell you, I worried for nothing. The stew turned out fabulously, and I was so anxious to try it when it was finally ready that I burned my lips. The flavors will have time to develop some more while the stew rests in the refrigerator overnight, so I have no doubt that it'll taste even better tomorrow. And since I bought twice as much stew beef than I needed (the other half is in the freezer), I have a feeling I'll be trying this recipe again with the "right" potato. Enjoy!

Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds lean stew beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, mnced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 14.5-ounce can fat-free, reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place stew beef in a large plastic bag with 3 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and toss until the beef is evenly coated.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown beef on all sides, working in batches if necessary.
3. Place sweet potatoes in the base of a preheated 4-5-quart slow cooker.* Layer on the browned beef, onions, and garlic. Pour in beef broth, beer, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle in nutmeg. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Remove about 1/2 cup of the broth and place in a bowl. Whisk in remaining tablespoon of flour until there are no more lumps. Add the broth and flour mixture back to the slow cooker.
5. Add frozen green beans and cook the stew for an additional 15-20 minutes.

* See previous food tip.

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