Beef and Andouille Stew

It is quite a revelation to realize how different (and better) a stew or chilli can taste when you use cubes of stewing beef instead of ground beef. Beware, of course, that this recipe takes around 2 hours to be ready, rather than 45 minutes.

Yield:
8 to 10 servings
Category:
Beef
Cuisine:
Canadian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 tablespoons or so of olive oil, grapeseed oil or canola oil
  • 2 1/4 pounds stewing beef (chuck or sirloin), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced thinly
  • (If you can't find Andouille , substitute with Kielbasa or Chorizo )
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced very thinly
  • 1 (12 ounce) bottle lager or ale
  • 1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, whole or diced,
  • 1 or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained
  • Cayenne pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot, heat a few tablespoons olive oil over medium-high to high heat. Thoroughly pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in small batches, sear the beef cubes until all sides are deep brown and a dark fond is forming in the pot. Add more oil to the pot if it looks like it is starting to burn. Remove the beef to a separate bowl after browning each batch. After the beef is cooked, add the andouille to the pot and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the andouille and set aside with the beef.
  2. Lower the heat to medium. Add a couple more tablespoons of oil; toss in the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Pour in the beer to deglaze the pan and remove the fond from the bottom of the pot.
  3. Add the beef, andouille, canned and fresh tomatoes and juices, chicken stock, chili powder and cumin into the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the chili for 1 1/2 hours. Add the beans and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Continue to cook the chili for an additional 30 minutes to an hour, until the beef is very tender and the beans are warm.
  4. Remove from the heat. Bring to room temperature then transfer to the refrigerator. The chili will naturally thicken up as it cools. (We recommend serving this chili 1 to 2 days after cooking. It just keeps getting better and better.)
  5. To serve, reheat on medium-low until warm. Serve with scallions, Cheddar cheese, sour cream and cornbread.

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