Autumn Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 strips thick cut bacon, cut into 1’4” strips

1.5 lbs. beef stew meat, or beef chuck roast cut into 1” squares

1 large onion, diced

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup apple cider

2 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth

2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into cubes

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a Dutch Oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until cooked through and starting to crisp.  Remove bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.  Drain bacon fat leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan.

Turn heat up to high, and heat bacon fat until it just begins to smoke.  Add beef cubes in a single layer and sear on one side 5 to 6 minutes or until meat begins to brown.  Salt and pepper the top while cooking.  Then, turn beef over and sear and brown on the other side.  

When beef is browned on both sides, add onions and vinegar, cook until onions soften scraping bits off the bottom of the pan.  Next, add potatoes, squash, carrots, celery, and fresh herbs and stir until combined.

Add apple juice and broth until ingredients are just covered in liquid.  Add more broth or water if needed.

Cover and place in hot oven. 

Cook for 2 hours checking periodically to stir and make sure there is enough liquid in the pan to prevent burning.

Stew is done when the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and meat is tender and falling apart.