In the Kitchen: Beef Tarragon

by Ethan Johnson
October 17, 2006

Woohoo! The temperatures are working their way south, and if you're in the south like me, then temperatures are slowly moseying along with their hands in their pockets, chawin' on some straw. Well, take what you can get. Regardless of how cold things get, or not, it's getting to be about time for some good old comfort food. Let's dust off the slow-cooker and slowly simmer:

Beef Tarragon

Beef Tarragon

Recipe adapted from Soupcon: Seasonal Samplings From the Junior League of Chicago.

    1.5 lbs boneless stew meat (beef, not lamb)
    1 cup flour
    2 Tbsp tarragon
    3 Tbsp pure olive oil
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1/4 cup dry red wine
    1 cup beef broth
    1 Tbsp sugar
    6-8 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
    3-4 Tbsp butter
    1 bunch green onions, chopped (white and light green parts only) - OPTIONAL
    1 medium white onion, quartered - OPTIONAL
    Dash of red wine vinegar

(Serves 2-3. Scale up to make more.)

Update 2/13/2007: This recipe is now available in video format.

  1. We begin by mixing the flour and 1 tablespoon (out of 2) of tarragon. Dredge the stew meat through the mixture and set aside.

    Dredged meat

  2. Heat olive oil and garlic until fragrant, ideally in your slow-cooker pot, IF you have a slow-cooker that allows you to brown the meat first (see photo). If not, use a separate skillet.

    Oil and garlic

  3. Add the stew meat and brown thoroughly.

    Browning meat

  4. Add the red wine, beef broth, sugar, other tablespoon of tarragon, red wine vinegar, white onions (IF you opted for white onions instead of green).

    Added ingredients to the meat

    Set pot onto slow-cooker base, OR transfer contents to slow-cooker and set for 6-8 hours.

  5. IF you are using green onions, chop them and have them ready about 15 minutes before the end of the cook time.

    Green onions

  6. About 20 minutes before the end of cook time, clean and chop the mushrooms.

    Mushrooms 1

  7. Sautee the mushrooms in a saucepan with the butter until soft.

    Mushrooms 2

  8. Add the mushrooms and green onions (IF you opted to use them instead of white) to the slow cooker.

    Almost there

  9. Serve over rice, egg noodles, or elbow macaroni.

  10. (Chuck wagon holler)

Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out. <EM>

(The full, ever-expanding In the Kitchen recipe list may be found here, if you take a notion.)

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