Meals Inna Bowl not Onna Stick

Mmmm beef.  Stew or soup, your choice. 

Now onto moist-cooked beef. I like stew, my daughter doesn't, so I make some and freeze it for my lunch. I prefer more soup-like to stew-like preparation, as it is more filling per calorie.

I also prepare it without any added carbs (no potatos, no rice, no grains, no beans). Yes to beef, carrots (and other roots like parsnips and rutabagas, in moderation) and onions (and garlic). I freeze the resultant proto-soupy-stew in containers with a lot of headspace. Then on the day of consumption, I add: the missing carb ingredient, usually some frozen veggies, and a flavoring agent. I put the lid back on and take the (microwaveable) container to work. Yum.

The missing carb ingredient can be leftover rice (or other grains) from the night before, potatoes, noodles -- use your imagination. Trader Joe's has a number of lines of frozen veggies mixes. The flavoring agent(s) --curry pastes, "gourmet garden" brand prepared macerated herbs, some other prepared sauce-type items

If you think of burrito in a bowl, or the salad-bar concept, you get the idea. In fact, it was a burrito joint that gave me the idea. We eat at a great burrito palace in Mountain View, CA (Burrito Real*, people, get there and get full) a lot. I was on a calorie- and fat-reduction plan, but didn't want to give up the yummy experience. They have Caldo Pollo most days, so I started messing around with making the Caldo Pollo instead of burrito.

The problem with most add-raw-to-hot soup experiences is the raw or refrigerated ingredients cool the basic broth too much. The nukro wave solves this problem.

There's a Japanese style of group-cooking, shabu shabu, that has some of the same idea.

Generic Stew Directions:

Vegetable oil for searing
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, cut into sixths
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups cold water,
5 cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
tea ball
    herbs and spices, your choice*

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F

1. Heat a large Dutch oven (or cast iron skillet -- if so, you'll need a casserole dish)  with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat.
   
2. Pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep.
   
3. If beef isn't cubed to bite-sized pieces, cube it.  (Meat is easier to cut if chilled).
   
4. Add some of the beef cubes to the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
5. Saute the meat, uncovered, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned, about 8 minutes.
   
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate.
   
7. Repeat with the remaining beef.
8. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan.
9. Return the pot/pan  to the stove and melt the butter over medium high heat.
10. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
11. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
12. Return the beef to the pot and add the water or broth, and bring to a simmer.
13. Put your selection of herbs and spices into the tea ball.  I vary the mix, but it always includes peppercorns, at least one clove of cinnamon, and usually includes celery seeds.
14. Cover and transfer to the oven. Stew the meat until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (your mileage may vary.  You may also use a slow cooker or crockpot.
    

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a ladle.
Ladle out one serving and eat immediately

Divide the rest among microwave and freezer safe containers, leaving about 1/2 the container as headspace.  Freeze.

( or just go to Burrito Real: [Burrito Real enthusiasts:  Burrito Real fans    Burrito Real Not a Square Meal, a tubular one;     Burrito Real: Mountain View Voice, Best Burrito 2004;     Burrito Real fan Corey;     Burrito Real fans (better than any place in Switzerland!)   ]

Comments

[Azygos]

Liz,

I too am a soup person. Try this one if you like spicy foods. Hot and Sour soup home made and very low in calories.

http://spankysplace.blog-city.com/read/921763.htm

[Ennis]

You can use barley as a carb, it's wonderfully filling.