Jamaican Beef Stew
Jamaican Beef Stew
This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Jennifer Olvera posted on Serious Eats. I made this in a dutch oven but on my stove top instead of in the oven with a touch more rum and a bit of Kahlua. I would recommend Tia Maria instead of Kahlua if you want to make it more authentic but I didn't have any in The Glass Pantry that day. I also swapped out the habañero chili for red Jalepeños then used some homemade habañero chili sauce to kick it up a notch. I really think the addition of the Kahlua made a big difference in the flavor by adding a touch more sweetness and a depth that really complimented the richness of this dish. Soooo good!
Don't be afraid to get a really good sear on the beef! Get your pan medium hot and don't move the meat around for 5-7 minutes. If the pieces are sticking to the pan then it's not quite done searing, be patient. It's important to make sure there's not too much liquid bubbling around in there either. You don't want to boil the pieces and a sear won't happen unless your pan is hot and pretty dry.
You will need to do this in a few batches to avoid crowding the pieces of beef which will create too much moisture in the pan for a proper sear. This part is designed to really develop a great rich flavor to the meat and also all those wonderful brown bits that will color and boost the broth of your stew.
Just remove the pieces as they finish searing and let them rest in a pie plate until you have completed searing all of the meat then later add back all the pieces when you add your vegetables. Don't forget to pour in the great juices that have accumulated in the pie plate while the beef pieces were resting!
Next add the onion and the carrots to the pot adding in the beef you just finished searing up nicely. Let this cook at medium high heat while stirring it around for a few minutes.
Next turn the heat down to medium and add in the chilies, garlic, rum and coffee liqueur. Bring to a boil and let that cook together while stirring those yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pan for a few minutes more. Look at that color!
Now you can add all the rest of the spices, stock and tomatoes stirring bringing everything back to a boil before putting the lid on your dutch oven and turning the heat down to simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
When the stew is done take off the lid and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. If you think your stew is not thick enough, just leave it to simmer with the lid off for a while to thicken it up. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions if you like and serve with your favorite rice. I usually opt for Jasmine but I think we will try a good brown rice next time.
Cheers!
~Melisa
Jamaican Beef Stew
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds boneless beef stew meat cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red jalepeño chilies, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp rum
3 Tbsp Kahlua
2 cups chicken stock, homemade is always nice!
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce - I used a habañero hot sauce I made at home
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
Method
Heat the oil a dutch oven on the stove top then sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Start searing the meat in batches until all pieces are well browned. Reserve done pieces of meat in a pie plate to rest as they finish searing.
When all the beef has been seared, add the onion and the carrots to the pot adding back in the seared meat and any juices that have accumulated in the pie plate. Let this cook at medium high heat while stirring it around for a few minutes.
Next turn the heat down to medium and add in the chilis, garlic, rum and coffee liqueur. Bring to a boil and let that cook together while stirring any brown bits off the bottom of the pan for a few minutes more.
Now you can add all the rest of the spices, seasonings, stock and tomatoes while stirring and bringing everything back to a boil before putting the lid on your dutch oven and turning the heat down to simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
When stew is done take off the lid and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. If you think your stew is not thick enough, just leave it to simmer with the lid off for a while to thicken it up. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with green onions if you like and serve with your favorite rice.
