You know how sometimes you open a bottle of wine, drink one glass, and then forget about the rest of the bottle for a while? I mean, we definitely didn't have that problem in the above photo at the seafood and wine festival, but sometimes you don't drink the whole bottle... Well, I found something useful to do with that leftover-not-so-yummy wine. Make it into a delicious stew. My parents don't drink much, and the other day we were opening a bottle of wine and found a few bottles that were a little too fermented, so I looked up some recipes to get ideas. Here is what I came up with. And I apologize, but I don't really measure.
1. In a dutch oven, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter. Add 1-2 lbs. of cubed beef and brown it on all sides. Add 1 medium chopped onion and about 5 minced cloves of garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onions become translucent. Add a pinch of salt, a few bay leaves, and some fresh herbs. I used rosemary and sage, my two favorites. Stir in about a tablespoon of flour. Throw in a bottle of wine.
2. Put the dutch oven in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and a half. The liquid should reduce a bit and smell delicious.
3. In a pan on the stove, cook some veggies. I used: 2 small potatoes, 1 carrot, 2 celery stalks, green beans, and collard greens. Add some pancetta, a few tablespoons of sugar, and about 1/2 cup of water to the pan and cover it. Cook for a few minutes until everything is done.
4. Take the dutch oven out of the oven and mix everything together.
