Tinto Wine Ternera Guiso: Pelime El Churrasquito

How great would the title of this recipe have been if instead of writing "Beef Stew in Red Wine" I had written " Beef Stew in Malbec ." It would have had more appeal, more glamour. More clicks, surely.

But you know what? I think it's disrespectful. Toward you. And to my cooking. I can't call a homemade stew I made to use up two steaks I had "Malbec Beef Stew." I know "Malbec" is very, very trendy. And I'm sorry, guys, I'm so sorry.

But as the Antigourmeters say, cooking is honest or it IS NOT. And look, my stew has sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, paprika... I mean, I had something to brag about. But I made it to last two steaks... And I have a conscience, an ethic, man.

Besides, "al Malbec" presupposes that someone can say: "Your stew is delicious, Pocha, but it would have been better with a Cabernet-Syrah." Let's not kid ourselves, guys. I don't have that palate. And neither do you. The name of a recipe should reflect everything. And that everything is also the intention. I wanted them to eat three with two steaks. So no "al Malbec."

I'm letting you know: MY BEEF STEW IS AWESOME, gentlemen. Don't doubt that. So, let's get cooking. And I'm signing off, happy to be able to say AWESOME with ease, a phrase that very much describes my stew, which also didn't quite match "with Malbec."

Ingredients

For 3 people

• 2 beef steaks
• 1 big potato
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 small bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 pinch of paprika
• 1 pinch of cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, pepper and oil

Optional but great if you add:

• 4 dry tomatoes
• 4 dried mushrooms

Recipe for beef stew in red wine

Here you have it, guachines

1. Cut the steaks into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a pot and brown them on both sides over high heat. Remove from the pot and set aside... don't wash the pot!
2. In the pot with the meat broth, add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, all roughly chopped, just like that. Sauté until golden brown. You may need to add a little oil.
3. Add the potato and carrot, cut into chunks. Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes. Some will be golden, others not.
4. Add the reserved meat, tomatoes, and dried mushrooms, cut into small pieces, to the pot (they can be almost dry since they will hydrate in the stew. I say almost because BE CAREFUL: always wash dried mushrooms or you run the risk of filling the stew with dirt. So, put them in water for at least 10 minutes to release the dirt. What a long parenthesis, man). Stir.
5. Add the glass of red wine and two equal glasses of water. Stir in the salt, pepper, and remaining seasonings. Leave uncovered over high heat until boiling, then simmer for 5 more minutes. After this time, cover and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour. Serve, eat, and then take a nap.

And here is my beef stew in red wine.

The recipe that saved me from having to go buy another steak