Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

I’ve known for a few days that it was going to be cold today. And by cold, I don’t mean “Waaahhh, a coat ruins this outfit,” I mean “I am legitimately concerned for my extremities.”

As much as I complain about the cold, I can’t help but love the excuse to spend a day next to the stove. Yesterday, when the weather wasn’t so frostbitey, I planned in advance and bought the ingredients I needed to make a lovely slow-cooked beef stew.

This recipe makes a lot—and by “a lot,” I mean “Hey, East Coast, I’ve got enough for all of you!” Nah, just kidding—but this recipe definitely yields enough for 8-10 cold, hungry people! And it has plenty of healthy vegetables, which I think makes up for the fact that bacon fat is the key to the best flavor.


Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

4-5 slices of thick-cut streaky bacon, sliced into ½” pieces
1.5 lbs. chuck steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 leafy stalks celery, diced, leaves set aside
3-4 carrots, diced
3 juicy tomatoes, diced
2-3 c. dry red wine
1 32-oz. box organic low-sodium beef broth*
1-2 turnips, diced
3-4 red potatoes, diced
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn into pieces
1 t. dried thyme (or half the amount fresh)
1 t. crumbled dried sage leaves (or 3 fresh leaves, minced)
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. garlic powder
1 lb. green beans, sliced into 1-inch lengths
Smoked sea salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste


Before you even start chopping, make sure you have a huge pot (I used my 6.75 quart Le Creuset risotto pot). Otherwise, you’re screwed.

Just before adding the liquid

Once your pot is ready, add the bacon over medium heat and cook it until the fat is melted away and the meaty bits are cooked but not burnt. Then, add the beef chunks and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the beef chunks are mostly browned. Then, add the onion, carrots, and celery stalk (make sure to keep the leaves separate and set them aside—they will be added later). Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened a bit.

Next, add the tomatoes (I added a few yellow cherry tomatoes, as you can see in the photo) and 1 cup of the wine. Turn the heat to high, and cook until the wine has reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Now, add one more cup of wine and the beef broth, the turnips, potatoes, and kale, and the thyme, sage, ginger, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the kale is completely wilted, add the green beans. If it seems dry, add the remaining wine (if you don’t need to add it, you should probably drink it). Cook for about 5 minutes until the green beans are cooked, then add the smoked sea salt and the cracked pepper. Give it a few good stirs until it is well-blended, then serve piping hot. This dish will stick to your bones!


* If you use pre-made beef broth, make sure to use low-sodium, and preferably organic. Of course, if you have your own beef broth, even better!

Not the prettiest, but it's wicked good!

Orechiette with Fennel, Sausage, and Gorgonzola Wine Sauce

One Saturday evening, I was strolling through Boston’s Haymarket on my way to the train, checking out what was left after the day. I spotted some nice-looking fennel bulbs and asked the price; the merchant offered them to me for free since they were closing up shop for the night. Free fennel bulbs? Sure! I didn’t want to be greedy, so I took three. Thanks, merchant!

I wanted to do something different from my typical fennel/orange/arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette. But what? Maybe some sausage, some autumn vegetables…spice it up with some citrus and cinnamon? Worth a try.

I picked up a bottle Orvieto wine, a dry but fruity white from Central Italy, to use in the recipe and drink with the finished dish. I decided to add some color to the dish using lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan Kale or dinosaur kale. If you can chop, you can make this recipe—it’s very easy, and the flavors are incredibly unique! Try this in place of a more traditional autumn vegetable dish; you won’t regret it!


Orechiette with Fennel, Sausage, and Gorgonzola Wine Sauce

16 oz. orechiette
Splash olive oil
12 oz. hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 orange, rind grated, segments sliced into bite-sized pieces
10 oz. Orvieto wine
3 small turnips, diced
3 large fennel bulbs, diced
1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed, leaves shredded
1 T. pink peppercorns
1 t. dried chile flakes
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. dried oregano
¼ t. cinnamon
1t. cracked black pepper
4 oz. gorgonzola, diced or crumbled

Cook the orechiette in salted water. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking apart large chunks. Add the garlic and shallot and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the wine, orange segments and rind, turnip, fennel, kale, pink peppercorns, chile flakes, rosemary, oregano, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of wine or a splash of the pasta cooking water.

Next, add the black pepper, gorgonzola, and cooked pasta. Stir to combine and serve piping hot.


Nutritional info: serves 6-8. 568 calories, 15 g fat, 80 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein.