Alcatra Beef Stew

This stew, using leftover beef Alcatra, was so flavorful and delicious- I really enjoyed it!  I had frozen two large portions of Alcatra back in August.  I used one portion to make the stew pictured above, about a month ago.  I'm using the last portion to make the same recipe tomorrow!  I based this off of my super-simple slow cooker beef stew.  For any local readers (anyone?  lol) this is a great use for leftover Alcatra, either from a restaurant, a friend/neighbor, or your own homemade stuff!  Alcatra freezes extremely well, so you can enjoy this a few months after your Alcatra feast. 

Alcatra Beef Stew

1-2 lbs leftover beef Alcatra (thawed if frozen)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove minced
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 lbs chopped potatoes
2-4 cups low-salt beef broth broth (add just enough to almost cover everything)
fresh-ground pepper, to taste
one bay leaf
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cold water

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook onion for a few minutes in the skillet, or until softened. Move onions to slow cooker.  This step is optional; I just don't like the taste of onions in the slow cooker unless they've been cooked a bit first.

2. Return the skillet to the heat, and add a few tablespoons of the beef broth to it. Scrape up any brown bits with a spoon or spatula. Add this liquid to the slow cooker. Add Alcatra meat, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, the rest of the broth (just enough to barely cover meat/veggies), black pepper, and bay leaf to the slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on "low" for 7-8 hours. About an 30-60 minutes before you want to eat, turn the slow cooker to "high". Combine the cold water and 3 TBS of flour (shake in a jar until no lumps remain). Whisk this mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the stew. Continue cooking until thickened. Taste, and add more pepper, and some salt, if needed.  Alcatra + beef broth will most likely provide plenty of sodium.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

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