St. Isaiah Beef Stew

History

Much like our recipe for St. Walther’s Day in the month of May, today’s recipe is not so much a historic tradition as a proposal for a new one. That’s because, as our previous post indicated, the commemoration of St. Isaiah isn’t one that reaches back to the earliest days of the Church but rather a more recent celebration.

Newer celebrations, then, call for new traditions! And we’d like to recommend this one based on a famous passage from Isaiah’s prophecy. Perhaps it will catch on, but we’d be glad to hear any other ideas that you have for household celebrations of Isaiah’s life and ministry.

A Feast of Rich Food

When thinking about how we might encourage you to commemorate St. Isaiah in your daily life, we drew on Isaiah 25:6 for inspiration.

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”

Depictions of the great heavenly feast to come abound in Isaiah’s prophecy, so we think that it is only fitting to celebrate St. Isaiah’s Day with a feast rich enough to remind you of the future celebration. We were specifically inspired by the description of rich meat “full of marrow” to present this recipe for a rich beef stew. As we feast here on earth, we look forward with hope to the day when we can sit in the midst of the great prophets and saints like Isaiah, feasting with God for all of time.

When serving this stew recipe to family and friends, we encourage you to find a fun aged wine to pair with the rich and beefy dish! If you need some red wine suggestions, we list a few on our Ascension Day Picnic and Recipe post. You could even go the extra mile and serve something extra rich for dessert. We’re thinking chocolate cake? Nevertheless, both of us at All the Household wish you a blessed St. Isaiah’s Day celebration!

St. Isaiah Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs beef chuck

1 onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

3-6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup red wine

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups beef broth

3 cups water

1 pound potatoes, cubed

4 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

¾ teaspoon dried thyme

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

¾ cup frozen peas

Instructions

1. Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, adding the beef and tossing the cubes in order to coat them well.
2. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or large pot. Add the beef chuck, making sure not to overcrowd the pieces.
3. Cook the pieces, turning them until they are browned evenly on all sides. Add more oil as needed, cooking the chopped onion and minced garlic last.
4. Remove the beef, onion, and garlic. Then, add the wine to the pot and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom, cooking over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the beef, onion, and garlic back in. Add the 3 cups beef broth and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a slow simmer.
5. Stir in all the remaining spices and ingredients (except the 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, and frozen peas).
6. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 1 to 1.5 hours. Add in the peas and cook for 20 minutes more.
7. Mix the equal parts of cornstarch and water in order to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the stew until your desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste!