beef stew

Yet another recipe on here you won’t associate with the Caribbean, however it’s one I do quite often and felt the need to share with you. Slowly braised in the oven until the meat falls of the bones, it’s packed with deep rich and comforting flavors. Winters can be quite brutal in Canada, so a dish like this hits the spot on those cold nights and the leftovers can be frozen and reheated easily.

You’ll Need…

4-5 lbs beef short ribs
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
1 tablespoon sea salt (divided)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
6-8 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate
2 scallions (chopped)
2 cups beef stock (adjust if necessary)
1 large carrot (cut into wheels)
2 bay leaves
2 pimento peppers (sliced)
1/2 lb mushrooms
3/4 cup Port (or your fav wine)
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
zest of a lemon
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Note! Remember to taste at the end for salt and adjust to your own liking. Also note that if you find you have little liquid left and the ribs are not tender, feel free to add a bit more beef stock (warm it in the microwave first as you don’t want to add cold stock to the pot). I left the mushrooms whole as they were small, plus I wanted them to maintain their shape and not fall apart during the lengthy cooking process.

The ribs were washed and pat dry. Then I hit them with 1/2 the salt and black pepper. If you wanted you can dust them in all-purpose flour as that will help you develop a thicker gravy at the end. I didn’t.

Heat a heavy oven-proof pot (with a lid) on a medium high flame, then add the oil and (in batches) brown the pieces of beef ribs. Takes about 3-4 minutes on each side. Do in batches so you don’t crowd the pan and enable it to spring liquid. Then it will boil.

Remove and set aside. Then in the same pot (remove some of the fat – leave back about 1 1/2 tablespoon) and reduce the heat to low. Now add the onion, garlic, pimento peppers (optional as they can be difficult to source), scallions and the remaining black pepper. Cook on low.

After 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and stir to coat with all that flavor we have in the pot. Turn the heat to medium/low.

After 2-3 minutes, it’s time to add the tomato paste and spread so it gets in contact with the bottom of the hot pot. This will bring out the natural sweetness of the tomato paste.

3 minutes later it’s time to add the Port (or your fav red wine) and scrape the bottom of the pan to release everything (Fond – brown bits on the bottom of the pot) at the bottom of the pot. It will take a couple minutes for that alcohol in the Port to burn off and leave us with the deep rich flavor we need.

Add the stock and stir. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Bring this to a boil (turn up the heat).

As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and tuck in the pieces of browned ribs into this liquid.

Add the remaining salt (be mindful that the stock you use will have sodium), bay leaves, thyme, sugar (helps to balance the acidity from the Port and Tomato Paste) and carrots. Bring back to a boil.

Place the lid on and onto the middle rack of the oven. Stir every 30-45 minutes.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later and they should be TENDER and falling off the bones, with a robust gravy. Tip the pot and remove some of the oil on the surface (my ribs were a bit fatty) and discard. Finish with the parsley and lemon zest to brighten things up.

This here is PURE COMFORT! Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Meat & Poultry

Incredible Comforting Lamb Stew.

May 28, 2025May 4, 20201 Comment

While there’s nothing “Caribbean” about this recipe, it’s something I make on the regular as I enjoy stews and soups. It’s one of those comforting one-pot dishes the entire family will enjoy and often-times, there’s leftovers to freeze. My reason for posting the recipe here is simple – there were a lot of requests for it when I teased cooking it on Instagram.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs lamb (any cut lamb will work)
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 lb bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/4 cup flour (all purpose)
1 large onion (cubed)
1 shallot (diced)
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 stalks celery (sliced)
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated puree)
1 1/2 cup red wine
8-10 mushrooms (cut in half)
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
2 carrots (1/4 inch wheels)
10-14 small potatoes
2 bay leaves
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 bird’s eye pepper (optional)
4 tablespoon parsley (divided)

NOTE! I used “blade” chops as they were on sale and to be honest, I much prefer using meat with bones. IMHO you get a much better flavor.

Put a tablespoon olive oil in your heavy stew pot on a medium heat and add bacon and brown. Remove (about 5 minutes) after you have crispy bacon bits and set aside.

Add 1-2 tablespoon olive oil – brown the lightly flour dusted lamb chops. Don’t crowd the pan, so you may need to do it in 2-3 batches. Set aside. It will take 5-7 minutes.

Remove the chops, lower heat to low and add onion, shallot, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the celery, garlic, thyme and black pepper.

A minute later add the tomato puree and stir well to help the natural sugars of the tomato to shine through. Then it’s time to add wine and stir well.. scrape the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium.. bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, carrots, salt and potatoes. Followed by two bay leaves. Stir

Heat to medium high, add stock and add the browned pieces of lamb and bring to a boil Top with the bacon and 1/2 the parsley and birds eye pepper. Lid on and into your oven – middle rack.

1 1/2 hr later, stir, remove the lid to burn off the excess liquid and thicken up. The flour we dusted the lamb chops with, will help to thicken the gravy now. 2 hours later, remove from the oven, taste for salt and adjust. Top with the remaining parsley and serve.

An absolute stunning one pot dish you’ll thoroughly enjoy on those cold winter nights or.. any night yea. Freeze the remaining stew and thaw on those days you really don’t feel like fussing in the kitchen.

Meat & Poultry

Classic Caribbean Coconut Stewed Beef.

July 2, 2017June 6, 20176 Comments

Here’s a dish I usually reach for when I’m homesick for the Caribbean and I need something comforting. Served with rice, pasta, ground provisions, roasted breadfruit or even garlic mashed potatoes, this coconut stewed beef is simply heavenly. While we didn’t eat a lot of beef when I was growing up on the islands (we didn’t like the taste of fresh butchered beef), the occasional time mom would fix this for dinner. it was always a hit. Since we’ll slowly braise this for some time, you can use a very cheap cut of beef if you wanted.

You’ll Need…

4 lbs beef (1 inch cube)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Habanero pepper (any spicy pepper you like)
1.5 cups coconut milk
1.5 cups water
2 scallions (chopped)
4-6 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar (golden)

Season your washed/cubed pieces of beef with the salt, habanero pepper, ketchup, onion, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Worcestershire and grated ginger. Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours. You can add a diced tomato if you wish.. the acidity is excellent in the mix. Don’t use any of the seeds of the habanero pepper if you’re concerned about the raw heat and remember to wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.

Heat the vegetable oil on a high flame in a heavy pot (one with a lid). Then add the brown sugar and stir. The sugar will melt, go frothy, then amber in color. Do NOT proceed if it goes darker or the finished dish will have a terrible burnt taste. This step is what we know as ‘stewing’ in the Caribbean (watch the video below). As it goes amber in color, start adding the seasoned beef to the pot and stir well to coat.

As it comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to med/low, cover the pot and let it go for about 10 minutes. After which it’s time to burn off all the natural liquid it will sprout. Remove the lid and crank up the heat. This will give us that rich color and flavor we’re looking for.

The goal is the make sure there’s no more liquid at the bottom of the pot (you should see the veg oil we started off with). Toss in the scallions and thyme and give it a good stir. Now add the water (swish the water in the same bowl you marinated the beef in to pick up any remaining marinade), then add the coconut milk.

With your heat still on high, bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and allow it to cook until the pieces of beef are tender. This should take between 1 hour and fifteen to thirty minutes. Depends of the size of your beef pieces, the cut of beef and how old the animal was before they butchered it. Remember to stir every 15-20 minutes.

In my case it took about 1 hr and 10 mins for the pieces of beef to be tender and the gravy to be the consistency I like. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.. you can also top with some additional chopped scallions to brighten it up a bit. Enjoy!

Fork tender and packed with flavors of the Caribbean, this coconut stewed beef is guaranteed to be a hit with your family… as it is with mine. You can certainly stretch this dish with some carrots and/or potatoes, but you’ll have to adjust the seasoning a bit.

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Meat & Poultry

Caribbean Stewed Beef With Coconut Dumplings.

December 3, 2014September 24, 201321 Comments

If you’re looking for a one pot dish with rich layers of flavor, which screams “Caribbean”, you’ll love this one. You just can’t go wrong with Caribbean style stewed meats and dumplings.. yuh know we’re known globally for our dumplings and this simple coconut version is simply delightful. Using the traditional Southern Caribbean way of making stewed beef, then we’ll add the dumpling dough directly to the pot to simmer and infuse with all the wonderful flavors of the stew. You’ll have an explosion of flavors with every bite!

You’ll Need…

2 lbs beef – cubed into 1 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves of garlic – thinly sliced or crushed
1 teaspoon ginger grated
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (one that can withstand high heat)
1 medium onion – diced
1 tomato – diced
1 tablespoon green seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
1 scallion
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)

1 carrot

* You may need to add an additional 3/4 cup of water when slowly cooking the beef, so there’s enough remaining liquid to cook the coconut dumplings.

Coconut dumplings

1/2 cup grated coconut
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut milk

Wash and drain the cubed beef (about 1-2 inch pieces), then season with everything but the carrot, oil, water and brown sugar. Mix well and allow to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

Take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking so it comes back up to room temperature. In a deep (heavy) pot, heat the oil on high, then add the brown sugar and stir. The sugar will start to melt, then changes will happen (please pay close attention)… it will melt, go frothy and start taking on colour. When it gets to a rich amber colour (don’t let it burn or go black or it will give the dish a bitter taste) start adding the marinated beef to the pot. If some of the marinade gets in.. no worries. IMPORTANT: Have the bowl with the seasoned beef close (the sugar will change colour fast), use a spoon with a long handle in the event the melted sugar splashes up on you and be very gentle when adding the season beef to the pot.

* If you’re new to stewing with brown sugar I’d recommend that you use an older pot as if the sugar gets burned, it may stain your newer pots … even stainless steel.

Stir well so each piece of beef is coated with that lovely caramel colour. With the heat still on high, bring it up to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and let that go for about 15 minutes. It will spring it’s own juice. Then it’s time to burn off the acquired liquid so we intensify both the overall colour and flavor. Turn up the heat and remove the lid off the pot. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, add the water and mix well to pick up any of the marinade which may have been left back. When the liquid in the pot is burned off and you have a wonderful established colour, it’s now time to add the water from the bowl as well as the diced carrot and bring to a boil.

As it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let that slowly braise for about 1 hour. After about 40 minutes you can start making the flour dumplings. Basically a firm dough with the ingredients mentioned above. Set the dough ball to rest for about 10 minutes before we shape them into spinners.

Break off small pieces of the dough (about a tablespoon full) and using your hands, roll into a skinny cigar shape. Try to keep them the same size so they cook evenly.

*NOTE! If you want to make this a true one-pot dish you may need to double the ingredients of the coconut dumplings as I usually have mine with bread, so I didn’t go heavy with the dumplings.

The beef should be tender at this point and have some remaining gravy. If you find that there isn’t enough liquid to cook the dumplings, do add another cup or so of hot water to the pot before adding the raw dumplings. As it comes back to a full boil (raise the heat) , start adding the dumplings to the pot. Stir in well (be gentle) so they are covered by liquid.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and let them cook for about 10 minutes. As they cook the flour will also help to thicken the gravy, so do keep an eye on things so you’re left with a bit of gravy at the end. Top with some frozen peas (optional) taste for salt (adjust if needed) then turn off the stove, cover the pot and let the residual heat cook the peas.

Just by looking at the picture above I’m sure those juices in your mouth are beginning to sprout! This stewed beef with coconut dumplings is unequivocally a wicked dish and something I try to make during those cold winter months as it’s definitely comfort food for me.

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Meat & Poultry

It’s “thyme” you enjoyed stewed beef with a rich gravy.

March 5, 2012May 10, 200973 Comments

What do you make that’s considered “comfort food” by your family? For me growing up it was a nice pig tail soup for Saturday lunch, thick with dumplings, ground provisions and split peas. I think our girls would say “beef with sauce (their way of saying gravy) and mashed potatoes” if I were to ask them the same question. Pretty similar to a North American style stew, but without all the vegetables, is how I could best describe this dish.

The result is a dish packed with tender pieces of beef since it’s cooked for a long time and a rich gravy that helps you appreciate boring mashed potatoes like you never thought possible.

* Disclaimer. This is NOT the traditional “stew beef” you’d find in Trinidad and Tobago or the other diverse islands that make up the Caribbean. I’ll post that recipe soon enough.

You’ll need….

1 lb beef (cubed)

1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes

3 cups beef stock

1 large carrot (diced)

1 medium onion (diced)

3 sprigs thyme (include stems)

3 cloves garlic

salt to taste (normally the beef stock I use adds enough salt to the dish)

pinch of black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 bay leaf

beef-recipes

Let’s prepare the ingredients…

– peel and slice the carrot and onion

– peel and crush the garlic

– if you can’t find already packaged stewing beef in your grocery store, get any cheap piece of beef and cube into 1 inch pieces.

– 1/4 cup of cream (I usually use half and half)

In a deep saucepan add the oil and place over high heat. As soon a the oil heats up add the pieces of beef to brown. Keep moving around so every side gets in contact with the bottom of the pan and browns evenly.

stew-beef-recipe

steak-with-gravy

This step can take about 10 minutes, depending on the type of pan you use and how high your heat is set. The next step is to add the sliced onions, garlic, carrots, pepper flakes and black pepper.

beef-recipe

cooking-beef

Turn the heat down a little and let cook for a couple minutes. Then add the thyme, bay leaf and beef stock. Try to ensure that you have enough liquid to cover everything in the pot. Now bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for about 1.5 hours or until the beef is tender.

stew-beef

After everything’s been simmering for about 1.5 hours you should have a thickened gravy, now add the cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Then get ready to serve.

beef-with-gravy