Slow-Cooked Beef with Tart Cherries and Tomatoes (with a hint of coffee)

Oct 11, 2016 in beef pork lamb venison, beef, cherries, coffee, comfort food, epicurious, food, recipes, tomatoes. Read the original on: Ocean View Kitchen

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Nothing says â€œhome cookingâ€ like a comfort food! In this recipe, tender chunks of beef are slowly cooked in a thick tomato sauce -spiced with paprika, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaves and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Tart cherries, tomatoes and coffee combined create complex flavors and surprises for the palate. The coffee enhances the rich flavor of the beef, but if you donâ€™t have espresso instant coffee on hand, you can skip it as it will still taste really good ( but I am recommending to try). I served it with pearled couscous and it was amazing! Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Beef with Tart Cherries and Tomatoes (with a hint of coffee)

Servings: 4-6 Time: 2 hours Difficulty: easy Print

Ingredients:

3 lb beef stew meat like beef chuck, fat trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks for stewing Salt and pepper to taste 2-4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed from skins 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried thyme or ~3 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 cinnamon stick 2 tsp espresso instant coffee (optional, but really good addition) 2 bay leaves 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 2/3 cup water Handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped Serving suggestions: Pearled couscous

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven with the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches and remove to a plate. Add more oil, as necessary. Add the garlic, carrots, and onions and sautÃ© for about 3 minutes. Add paprika, thyme, cinnamon stick, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and some salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so. Add water, tomatoes, dried cherries and coffee if using. Return beef to the Dutch oven. Stir, cover tightly with a layer of aluminum foil and lid, and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until very tender. Remove the bay leaves, and thyme and cinammon sticks. Stir in fresh herbs like parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with pearled couscous.

Read the original on: Ocean View Kitchen