Chocolate has long been used in savory dishes. The earthy bitterness of cocoa is a natural in rich meaty dishes like beef stew.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds or so of stew beef or blade pot roast, cut into large chunks
- 11/2 cups red wine
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1-2 onions peeled and chopped
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 dried Ancho pepper, seeded and chopped or 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 heaping spoonfuls cocoa powder
- 2 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste, optional- several dashes of hot sauce
- 10-12 oven roasted new potatoes, figure 2 person depending on size of the potato.
Preparation
- Marinate beef in wine, Worcestershire, salt & pepper
- In a large skillet brown beef chunks in oil.
- In a large heavy pot add the celery, onions and carrots. Add the tomatoes, chopping them a bit with a spoon. Add beef broth and the remains of the marinade. Add chilies, spices and cocoa and stir well. Season with salt and optional hot sauce. Bring to a simmer.
- Continue simmering until the beef is very tender and the broth has thickened, about 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the dark chocolate.
- Ladle stew over potatoes. Serve immediately topped with fresh cilantro and extra sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream or yogurt!
Serves 6.
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