Slow-Cooked Beef with Tart Cherries and Tomatoes (with a hint of coffee)
Nothing says “home cooking” like a comfort food! In this recipe, tender chunks of beef are slowly cooked in a thick tomato sauce -spiced with paprika, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaves and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Tart cherries, tomatoes and coffee combined create complex flavors and surprises for the palate. The coffee enhances the rich flavor of the beef, but if you don’t have espresso instant coffee on hand, you can skip it as it will still taste really good ( but I am recommending to try). I served it with pearled couscous and it was amazing! Enjoy!
Slow-Cooked Beef with Tart Cherries and Tomatoes (with a hint of coffee)
Ingredients:
- 3 lb beef stew meat like beef chuck, fat trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks for stewing
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed from skins
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or ~3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp espresso instant coffee (optional, but really good addition)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup water
- Handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- Serving suggestions: Pearled couscous
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven with the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches and remove to a plate. Add more oil, as necessary.
- Add the garlic, carrots, and onions and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add paprika, thyme, cinnamon stick, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and some salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so.
- Add water, tomatoes, dried cherries and coffee if using. Return beef to the Dutch oven. Stir, cover tightly with a layer of aluminum foil and lid, and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until very tender.
- Remove the bay leaves, and thyme and cinammon sticks. Stir in fresh herbs like parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with pearled couscous.
This looks really good!
Thank you Cindy!!!
Lovely Olga – another one of your osiers that can’t keep away from the top of my Instagram feed!
Thank Laura! You are very kind😉Olga xxx
This sounds fabulous. I love all the little additions here, the balsamic, the coffee, the pomegranate… just cooked pork with coffee for the first time, it was fantastic. I’ll be adding it more often to various meats from now on!
Thanks Darya! I cooked with coffee few times and really like it. This dish was very good and I definitely will make it again! Thanks for stopping by!
Comfort food made glamorous! Beautiful dish, Olga!
Thanks Patty😘
Yummy I would really like to try the recipe!
Thanks! Hope you do, it was a good one👌🏻