October 25, 2023
Eye of Newt Stew (Red Wine Braised Beef with Onions and Pomegranate)
This gruesome looking beef stew is delicious and easy to make. For a Halloween main, I like to add “eyeballs” made of pearl onions and stuffed with either capers or small black olives. A bit of reduced pomegranate juice thickened with glucomann powder makes for realistic looking blood and adds a sweetness and acidity to the stew. All components can be made at least a day ahead and assembled when serving.
Servings: 8
Calories: 470kcal
Ingredients
Beef Stew
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease or avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced thin
- 1 carrot diced, purple, if possible
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced (look for high vitamin D mushrooms, if possible)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste 1 small can, omit for nightshade-free
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce optional, enhances umami and you won’t taste it
- 1 bottle red wine something bold like a Cabernet
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon gelatin unflavored
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 2 bay leaves dried
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye-roast cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
Onion Eyes
- 7 ounces frozen pearl onions thawed
- 1 tablespoon butter or your favorite dairy-free alternative
- caper berries or small black olives
Pomegranate Sauce
- 2/3 cup pomegranate juice 1 large pomegranate
- 1 small pinch glucomann powder optional, improves texture
Instructions
For the Stew
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Heat the bacon grease over medium high heat in a large dutch oven. Add the sliced onions, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until onions begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add tomato paste, stirring to distribute evenly. Cook another 2 minutes then add the wine, scraping to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add a cup of chicken stock, fish sauce, gelatin, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil then add the beef and salt. The beef should be completely submerged. Add more stock as needed.
- Cover the dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Bake at 325ºF for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Remove from the oven and skim the excess fat from the surface with a spoon. You can also let it cool completely and refrigerate overnight. The fat is easily scooped off with a spoon the next day. Stir in the pepper before serving.
For the Onion Eyes
- Place the thawed pearl onions in a pan and just cover with water. Add the butter, cover the pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncover pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are completely tender and little to no liquid remains, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
For the Pomegranate Sauce
- Combine the pomegranate juice and glucomann in a small pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until reduced by half and syrupy. Set aside.
To Serve
- Using a small paring knife, remove the central core of several pearl onions. Place a caper berry (or small olive) into the now empty onion and lightly brush part of the onions with a bit of reserved pomegranate sauce. Set aside.
- Spoon some pomegranate sauce onto each plate. Set the plate into a sink and using the back of a spoon, splatter the sauce. Place a couple of pearl onion eyes onto the splatter. Place a bowl of soup onto the plate and top with a couple more onion eyes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Protein:Energy Quotient [calories]: 1.48, Protein % of calories: 49.6%
Nutrition without eyes and sauce: Calories: 436 cal, Carbs: 11g, Fiber: 2g, Fat: 14g, Protein: 48g, Protein:Energy Quotient [calories]: 1.73, Protein % of calories: 53.6%
Nutrition Facts
Eye of Newt Stew (Red Wine Braised Beef with Onions and Pomegranate)
Amount per Serving
Calories
470
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
132
mg
44
%
Sodium
1270
mg
55
%
Potassium
1280
mg
37
%
Carbohydrates
16
g
5
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
48
g
96
%
Vitamin A
1666
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
81
mg
8
%
Iron
6
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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