Bou Estofat-Catalan Beef Stew

Author: Liz Bokisch

Serves: 4

Markus loves to make this classic Catalan dish. We follow the recipe from Colman Andrew's Catalan Cuisine published in 1988, but add a few modifications like using our Bokisch Albariño to deglaze the pan. The other secret is the bacon, chocolate and cinnamon. The combination of flavors make it a perfect dish to enjoy on a winter's night with a glass of our Graciano or Petit Verdot!

Ingredients

4 slabs of thick cut bacon, diced
1½ lbs stew meat
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1 lb baby new potatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp flour
1 bay leave
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 Tbsp shaved dark chocolate
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup Bokisch Albariño

Instructions

Sauté the bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy pot.
Remove the bacon bits and sauté the stew meat in the bacon grease until lightly browned.
Return the bacon into the pan and deglaze with the Albariño.
Add the onions, garlic and herbs, sauté until soft.
Stir in the flour and broth, cover, bring to a boil and then simmer slowly for 2 hours, letting the meat soften.
Add the potatoes and mix in the chocolate, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste.
Continue simmering for another ½ hour to 1 hour until the potatoes are soft. Add more broth if necessary.

These ceramic bowls are from Finland. I love to use them for stews and soups!