Beef Stew with Kabocha Squash

This was Sunday dinner.  Outside Round roast beef was on sale at IGA, as well as squash so I decided to make a stew.  I chose to use Kabocha squash with it.

My biggest dilemma was debating whether to cut the skin off it or not.  I had read contrasting views of winter squash on that.  I would have rather kept it on including the fiber and nutrients of the peel, however, my brain reminded of last year when I made something that wasn't so good.  I can't remember what type of squash it was because I didn't blog recipes back then.  I just remember how bitter and horrible the skin was - rendering the dish inedible.  I remember reading that it was ok to eat the skin on the squash I used, so I'm leery now... After much hemming and hawing, I decided since I paid $15 for the beef, I didn't want to risk making the dish taste unappetizing, so decided the peel had to go, this time...

Here were the ingredients I used today - the potatoes were just leftover in the cupboard and had to be used soon, which is why I added them:

• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 lbs of beef, cut into 1 inch cubes and coated with seasoned flour
• 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed with my hand as I put them in the pot
• 10 large mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1 bunch of fresh carrots, sliced on the bias
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, skin on and cubed smallish
• 1 kabocha squash, peeled and cubed
• 3/4 cup of red wine
• 2 cups of organic beef stock (I used "Better than Beef Bouillon", reduced sodium)
• Fresh thyme, (I tied and bundled it and fished it out at the end)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 1 Parmesan Reggiano cheese rind

I started with the squash.  I followed the exact same instructions I did yesterday for my butternut squash for cutting it, up to the point of cubing it and putting it in a bowl.  

I can tell you that the skin on the kabocha was much, much harder to cut into than the butternut yesterday.  I got a work out!  

There were lots and lots of seeds that I cleaned out.  If it wasn't me doing this prep work, I would have kept them and toasted them but not today...

I set it aside in the fridge until needed and took a wine & whine break.  That was difficult - I broke a sweat, literally!  :)

I got all the other veggies ready, one by one...

Onions & Garlic

Carrots

Chop, chop, chop...  

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Mushrooms

Then I started the beef.  After it was cut into cubes, I shook it in a plastic bag with the seasoned flour (S&P, smoked paprika & a dash of cayenne pepper).  I used my enamel cast iron dutch oven for this dish.  I preheated my oven at 300°F.  

I put some olive oil in and browned the beef, removing it to a plate when done.  

This took 4 batches.  If you put all the beef in at once, it would just steam and wouldn't brown.

I sauteed the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes and then added the wine to bring up all the brown bits on the bottom, I had to scrape pretty good with my wooden spoon to get it up and off the bottom today.  I added in the liquids and Parmesan rind next then seasoned with salt & pepper.  I slid the beef back in.  Then I put in all the rest of the veggies.  Wow!  This pot was full.  I could just get the lid on after managing to stir everything together.  Veggies would fly/pop out and I'd just put them back in.

I set the timer for 3 hours on the oven, took it out and stirred it every hour.  It weighed a tonne!

After one hour...

After hour two.  I seasoned with more S&P...

After three hours

At this point I turned the oven back to 350°F.  I made a cornstarch slurry which was 2 tbsp of cornstarch and the equal amount of water.  I stirred it till mixed in and then poured it into the stew and stirred again.  It started to thicken immediately.  I also added in a good shake of Worcestershire sauce.

Back into the oven for another half hour.  I also warmed some french bread for my son and chopped parsley for garnish.

Well, all the prep work paid off and the stew was fantastic.  The squash was still firm and delicious in its own right.  I recognized the flavor from Japanese Tempura, which means I've eaten the skin before.  The beef was literally melt in your mouth tender.  It was a perfect Sunday dinner for sure.  Lots and lots of leftovers for the week's lunches too and some for the freezer.