I cook a lot with wine. You can take an easy dish to cook and use a little wine and it makes all the difference in the world. Cooking with wine doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. I have to say that I always have wine in my house. Not only to enjoy a glass of wine, but to cook. Cooking with wine not only adds flavor to your dish, but it can also act as a tenderizer for your less expensive cuts of meat.

I have said it before, I only cook with wines that I am also going to drink. Please do not cook with cooking wine that they sell in grocery stores. Is not the same. As far as I’m concerned, it’s bloody terrible. If you think about it, why wouldn’t you cook with the wine you normally drink? If you like wine neat, there’s a good chance you’ll like it in whatever dish you’re preparing. Then, of course, there’s the benefit, since you’re cooking with wine, you have to toast and enjoy a glass while you cook.

I’m going back to what I said before, that cooking with wine can act as a softener. Take for example the beef stew. Now for the most part stew beef is a cheaper cut of meat. Or if you’re like me, I’ll buy a less expensive roast and cut it up to make a stew. Either way, the meat is usually tougher and you wouldn’t normally eat it as is. Normally you would simmer it in some kind of broth for at least a couple of hours. So why not use some wine instead of just using stock? The wine starts the softening process faster and adds that extra element of flavor. I can guarantee that you will be licking your lips.

I know I said that if you’re going to cook with wine, then make sure it’s a wine that you would normally consume. Another factor to keep in mind when cooking with wine. Be sure to pair your wine with what you are cooking. What I mean by this is when you are cooking a stew, use a stronger wine. Stew is a very tough food, so you don’t want to use a Shiraz. Instead, use a type of Burgundy or Bordeaux wine.

Now I am going to share with you my recipe for beef stew. You’ll know by the amount of wine I use why I’m talking about cooking with wine today. With the stew I do it a lot on top of the stove and then put it in the oven for the rest of the time. Now you could also do most of the prep the night before and then put it in a slow cooker during the day. Then finish it when you get home.

Beef Stew in Red Wine

4 pounds of beef to stew well trimmed

2-3 onions chopped not too small

12-15 baby carrots (I use the ready-to-use baby carrots)

1 large package quartered whole mushrooms

6 potatoes

1 bottle of red wine

2-4 cups of beef broth

2 bay leaves

3 whole sprigs of thyme

Flour

2-3 tablespoons of butter

olive oil

salt and pepper

On the stove, heat a large heavy Dutch oven type pot over medium heat. Coat the bottom with olive oil and add the onions. Cook until golden and soft. While the onions are cooking, take a plate and cover it generously with flour. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Lay your meat down and begin to coat the meat in the flour. When the onions are tender, remove from the pot. You may have to add a bit more oil at this point. Place some of the meat in the pot and brown lightly. This is a very important stage in cooking the stew. By coating the meat with flour and then browning it, there will be a more intense flavor at the end. You will have to make the meat in batches. Don’t overload your pot. This will prevent some pieces from browning.

After all the meat is browned. Remove from the jar. Because in the bottle of wine. Scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pot. These little pieces are pure flavor. Place all the meat, the onions, the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaves in the pot. Then add enough beef broth to cover the meat well. Place in a 300° oven for approximately 2 ½ – 3 hours. While the stew is in the oven, grab another skillet and heat over medium high heat. Cover with olive oil and add the mushrooms, season with salt. Cook until quite golden.

After the stew has been in the oven for about 3 hours, take it out of the oven and add the mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes. You may need to add a bit more beef broth at this point. Check after ½ hour to 45 minutes. If the potatoes are cooked, it is ready to take out of the oven. Place the pot on the stove over a burner heated to medium. Here’s the thickening part and just a little more flavor. On a small plate, take 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. They mix. Slowly add this in pieces to the stew over low heat. This will thicken the stew. I say do this slowly so you get the thickness you want. If it’s not thick enough, do it again. The ratio is equal parts butter to flour. Taste to see if you need to season more with salt and pepper.

There you go, you have dinner a couple of nights.