Make Ahead

Blue River Stew

by:
January  4, 2011
4.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Stew made with short ribs has always been a family tradition. I think it's a favorite because of the fat on the ribs. My stepdad had pasole corn for a great addition to this stew. The only other vegetable is potatoes. This is a simple but hearty stew is great for a cold winter night! I had made some beer bread that was a wonderful variation of my typical cornbread that I serve with my ordinary stew. - escharlie —chrissyb

Test Kitchen Notes

Beef, potatoes, and beer -- the ingredients in escharlie's recipe are as simple as pie and as All-American as...well, pie. With very little seasoning, the stew is all about the meat flavor -- the rest of the ingredients are really there to further enhance it. Because the taste was already pretty intense, I chose to use half the amount of beef stock recommended, substituting with an extra 2 cups of water. I found the beer to be a perfect complement to the slick taste of the stock, adding a crisp bite to the finished dish. A blonde beer with citrus hints would work really well too. I was unable to find pasole corn and I used some kernels from a fresh cob as a replacement, which added a more diverse texture but lacked a huskiness innate to the original ingredient. I served the stew over a bed of fresh purple cabbage, which not only gave the meal some color, but it also added some cool taste and texture to counter the smooth quality of the stew. Thanks for letting me taste a delicious meal! —Sodium Girl

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 beef short ribs with the bone in
  • 5 Russet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup Pasole corn
  • 2 2/3 cups beef broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup Shiner Bock beer or a dark beer
  • 2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
Directions
  1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Oil a large pot with either 2 tablespoons of butter or 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. After the pot is hot, add onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent on medium heat.
  3. Add the short ribs to the pot and brown on all sides. Stir the ribs around so that the onions do not burn. Cook the ribs for 5-6 minutes.
  4. Add the beef broth, beer and water until it is boiling. When there is a rolling boil, stir in the pasoli corn and potatoes. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Add additional water if the stew looks too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I served the stew with the bones in but if you want to take the bones out, that is optional.
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4 Reviews

Ron M. October 17, 2014
Maybe the problem is the spelling of "pasole." Pozole is Spanish for hominy, an alkalai-treated corn, which is sold both dry and canned under several brand names, including Goya and Bush's.
 
Sodium G. January 20, 2011
Whooo Hooo! Congrats escharlie!
 
Sodium G. January 18, 2011
The beer is a genius compliment to the meaty, slick quality of the stock!
 
Sagegreen January 4, 2011
Yum!