Colleen Gallagher’s Beef Stew

Second week in the ward. The fog from the medications is lighter — my body is adjusting, or they've adjusted the doses, or both. I'm starting to be able to think in complete sentences again, which I'm told is progress.

The ward has a routine. Breakfast at seven-thirty. Group at nine. Individual session with Dr. Stein at eleven on Tuesdays and Fridays. Lunch. Free time. Another group in the afternoon run by a woman named Carol who doesn't make you talk if you don't want to. I mostly don't want to. She lets me sit in the corner and listen.

I've started talking a little in the morning group. Not about the important things — not about the rifle on the hay bale, not about Derek, not about March 8. Just small things. One of the other guys, a Marine from Butte named Travis, mentioned cooking once — said he missed cooking his own food. I said I did too, and that was the most I'd said in three days. Carol noted it like it was significant. Maybe it was.

Mom brought a container of her beef stew on Tuesday. The ward has a rule about outside food — technically not allowed — but the nurse on duty looked the other way. Colleen Gallagher's beef stew is the kind of thing that can make a person overlook policy. She sat next to me while I ate and we watched the news on the small TV and didn't talk about anything important. She told me the ranch was fine, Dad was managing, the Hendersons' boy had come over to help with cattle. I said I was sorry for the trouble and she said, "You're not trouble, Ryan. You're my son." Just like that. The truth, and you can't argue with it.

I'm told I'll probably be discharged at the end of the week. I don't know what comes after that. I'm working on not thinking too far ahead.

Mom’s beef stew in that plastic container on a Tuesday afternoon — that was the first thing in two weeks that tasted like something other than the ward. I can’t replicate the way she sat next to me while I ate it, or the way she said what she said, but I can write down what goes into the pot. This is as close as I can get to her version. It’s the kind of stew that doesn’t ask anything of you except that you sit down and eat.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (or substitute beef broth)
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Season and dredge the beef. Pat chuck cubes dry with paper towels. Toss with flour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Brown the meat. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pot, sear beef on all sides until deep brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned meat to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Deglaze. Pour in red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Let the wine reduce by about half, roughly 2 minutes.
Simmer the stew. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add beef broth, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vegetables. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cover and continue simmering for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until vegetables are tender and beef is fork-tender.
Finish. Stir in frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Colleen Gallagher’s Beef Stew — The Kind of Thing That Makes You Overlook Policy