Did you hear about it? Well, it’s here. It’s a biggie, they say. And they named him aptly: Jupiter. Here’s the (imaginary) conversation big Jupiter and I had last night.
As it Cooks: Hey Jup! So what do you have in store for us?
Jupiter: The usual suspects. You know– sleet, freezing rain, ice accumulations on roads, power outages, tree damage, just to name a few. The streets are beautifully glazed and iced up, did you see? I have my way of cooking things, too, you know. Definitely not a piece of cake for commuters today and tomorrow. Stay home. Ponder.
As it Cooks: Wait. Tee’s going cook up a storm, too. A fat stew. Please don’t let the power go down, or her meal plan is cooked.
Jupiter: If I were you, I’d tell her to get going. Now!
So this was what happened after our ‘conversation’. The campus is closed. I made sure to thaw a packet of stew meat in the fridge — thanks to Mr. Chi-Town’s thoughtfulness. The first thing this morning, I pulled the meat out of the fridge, marinated it with turmeric, freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of ground cloves, a touch of Asian curry powder, some arrowroot flour, and other spices and aromatics. Looks good, huh? It actually smells delicious already believe it or not.
Veggies of all colors and flavors are ready. They make any gravy taste sweet. There’s really no need to add Chianti. Think lycopene. The sweet, tangy flavors from fresh Campari tomatoes is good. There’s really no need to add cream either. A hint of “creamy-butteriness” from the clarified butter does the trick.
Roast the red and green peppers in the oven for about 25 minutes. After that, wrap it up in a foil for about 10 minutes. Peel off the skin. Give it a thick rough chop. I make sure every last bit of the pepper seeds go into the stew, too. First of all, they’ve got such good flavors, and second of all, they will not kill me. Add the roasted chopped peppers and a small sprinkling of frozen sweet peas about five minutes before the stew is ready. When adding veggies, think rainbow and beyond.
Next, heat up the pan until it’s smoking hot. Add some grapeseed oil and a little clarified butter. Toss in the marinated meat. Let them sit and caramelize for about 3 minutes, then give it a stir.Again, let it sit and sizzle for another 3 minutes. Stir. Keep doing so until they brown beautifully all over and the kitchen smells like meaty-buttery heaven. Take a look below. It’s getting there…
In the meantime, let me share a secret with you. Have you seen or heard about S&B Oriental Curry Powder? It’s one my all-time favorite staples in my kitchen. You’ve got to get one and experiment it in your cooking. Some day when I get a chance, I’ll show you how to whip up a plate of good Singapore noodles (or as they call it, “sing chow mien”) using this magic powder. Take a look below. For being one of Tee’s favorite cooking ingredients, S&B is crowned with a sprig of celery leaf. S&S, you are my lil pwincess.
It’s here! See that browning? That’s what I’ve been waiting for.
Now the veggies and the rest of the aromatics go in. Yes, lot’s of garrrh-lic.
Add a little water. Cover the pan. Let the stew simmer. Let the flavors from the mixed veggies and the meat meld and marry for about 30 minutes. Yes, you read my mind. Low heat!
The stew is ready. Here’s a nice small serving for me. Hmmm…what should I do first? Pick up a piece of stew meat, or scoop up a spoon of happy family? Decisions, decisions, decisions. <sigh>
See that nice chunky pieces of tender stew meat? Wow! They are incredibly flavorful — thanks to the seasonings, the mixed veggies, and of course, the browning. If you think that there are more veggies than meat in my stew, so be it. That’s the way I like it. Besides, it’s just another cool way to get Mr. Chi-Town to eat more veggies. It’s a win-win stew 🙂 Here’s a closer shot.
Fast forward an hour, this is all that’s left.
You must be wondering why hot chillies were left out of this recipe. No, not really. I did add some hot New Mexico Hatch green chillies when I added the vegetables. It’s optional though. If you don’t like hot, use the mild. You’ll thank New Mexico for it.
On a chilly day like this, this stew is a winner. It’s hardy, it’s tasty, and the warm spices in it makes me feel warm and fuzzy. This is what I had to say to Jupiter.
As it Cooks: Jupiter, even though you are a mighty big storm, you’ve been very kind to us. Because you did not mess up the power lines, I managed to make some stew for me and Mr. Chi-Town. Would you like to know what’s the star ingredient in this stew? As it Cooks thinks that it is the good grass-fed stew meat, the aromatic spices, and all the mixed veggies. In fact, each and every ingredient in this chock-full-of-flavor stew gets the credit. It’s just so gestalt!
By the way, did you know that we also had Plan B in place in case there was a power outage? Mr. Chi-Town’s thinking steak. What’s new huh? As you can see, he’s all set even with a Weber looking like this.
But what if?
Jupiter: If I were you, I’d get going. Now!
To those of you in the Great Plains, take care of yourself and each other. Stay safe. Stay warm. I will return to make a note of this recipe. As for now, I’m heading back to the kitchen to see what I can whip up for tomorrow. Who knows what Jupiter has in store for me and Mr. Chi-Town tomorrow?
When Mother Nature calls the shots, you just gotta go with the flow. Just like our lil wulf puppy.
Lots of love.
Tee