RECIPE

Another major storm has hit the area and the power is out. Again. Reports are stating that it will be several days before the electricity will return. Grocery stores and restaurants are closed. You have some snack food that could get you by, but what about nutritious meals for you and your family?

Studies show that under duress, we prefer familiar foods. But when the power grids go down, how can we still provide nutritious and satisfying meals? The easiest and most economical way is to prepare delicious meals in advance. In this first installment of ‘Sovereign Living Made Simple’, we demonstrate how easy it is to pressure-can your own home-cooked meals.

Photo by Lara Ferroni, Plates & Packs

Beef Bourginon ( Red Wine Beef Stew )

This mildly fruity beef stew is slowly simmered in a hearty red wine, with cognac & a strip of orange peel until the meat is fork-tender and infused with a rich complex flavor. It is an absolute delight for cold winter nights & in emergency situations. This simple recipe yeilds enough for dinner tonight for 3 to 4 as well as 6 pint jars for the pantry:

Recipe Ingredients:

8 strips of thick bacon, cut into 1” pieces

5 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1” cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. pearl onions or small boiling onions: 1-2” in size

4 tbsp. flour 3 c. dry red wine, like burgundy

6 tbsp. cognac, brandy may be substituted

4 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 tsp. marjoram 1/4 tsp. thyme

2 strips orange peel: use a vegetable peeler_

2 tbsp. beef stock base plus 1 c. water

2 medium size onions: one studded with 3 whole cloves, the other with 5 whole cloves

1 lb. mushrooms: cleaned, cut or whole chunks: 1” in size

Finely chopped parsley

Recipe Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In heavy frying pan, brown half of the bacon. Remove the crisp bacon from drippings and aside.

Cut beef into 1” cubes. Season beef with salt and pepper to taste. Add half of seasoned beef to the hot bacon drippings and brown on all sides. Repeat same procedure with remaining half of bacon and then the remaining half of the beef.

Transfer browned beef and crisp bacon to ovenproof casseroles. For ease of preparation, divide meat into 2 batches one for tonight’s dinner & the larger one for preserving: we recommend 3 quart & 6 quart casseroles. Add the smaller of the onions studded with the cloves to the “dinner” casserole. Add the other onion studded with the cloves to the “preserving” casserole. If you prefer, a large dutch oven may be used, but the dinner & preserving batches will need to be separated after the first hour of cooking.Add pearl onions to the drippings and brown lightly. Divide into 2 batches: 1/3 for dinner, 2/3 for preserving; set aside.

Sprinkle flour into the drippings and let brown slightly. Gradually stir in wine and cognac. Add crushed garlic, marjoram, thyme, orange peel, beef stock and the two onions studded with the cloves. Bring to a boil. Divide into 2 batches: 1/3 for dinner, 2/3 for preserving.

Pour 1/3 of this sauce over the meat in the smaller casserole dish. Pour the rest over the meat in the 4 quart casserole.Cover casseroles and place in them in an oven pre-heated to 325 degrees.

Tonight’s “dinner” in the small casserole dish will cook slowly in the oven for approximately 2½ hours or until meat is almost tender enough to serve.

Set timer for 90 minutes for the “preserving” casserole. Meanwhile, clean the kitchen in preparation for canning your luscious stew. Jump to “preserving” instructions to prepare for canning of this luscious meal

Tonight’s “dinner” in the small casserole dish will cook slowly in the oven for approximately 2½ hours or until meat is almost tender enough to serve. Then, add the browned pearl onions and cook 30 minutes longer, or until meat is very tender when pierced. (Option: 3 medium sized carrots, peeled & cut in to 1” chunks, could be added to the stew at this point.) Add one third of the mushrooms to the meat the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 3-4 people.

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