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Beef Stew w/Rutabaga

From Heirloom Living Market Lilburn

<p>I needed to use this rutabaga that I bought at the market and didn&#8217;t know what to do with it. What does a rutabaga taste like and how do I prepare it? Of course I checked out the internet and found that it is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. Most of the recipes are interchangeable w/potatoes. So, I&#8217;m thinking beef stew surrounding a bed of mashed rutabaga. The rutabaga does not mash as smoothly as potatoes and is a bit lumpy and fibrous from the cabbage w/a mild turnipy taste. I&#8217;ve never eaten turnips except for the greens until recently. I&#8217;m still getting used to them, but I will not be put off! So, this is my take on Beef Stew w/Rutabaga. Great recipe for getting to know the rutabaga.</p>
Source: Kathy Barnes (Entered by Kathy Barnes)
Serves: 4


Ingredients
1 lb Stew Beef
3/4 Cup Flour-1/4 C Reserving 1/2 C
1/4 Cup Bacon Grease or Lard
1 large Onions-cut in half then into wedges
3 large Carrots-thickly sliced, but bite sized
2 large Garlic-minced
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 large Bay Leaf
2 cups Beef Broth
Water
1 large Rutabaga/Substitute w/Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter/more or less
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Step by Step Instructions
  1. Melt bacon grease/lard in heavy frying pan. Salt, pepper, and lightly flour stew beef chunks. When fat is hot, place beef chunks in pan and brown on all sides on med/low heat, adding more fat as needed.
  2. Stirring in beef broth, deglaze pan and add onions, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. While the liquid is simmering, allow the liquid to cook down. Do this step several times by adding water each time. Test the stew beef with a fork for tenderness. If it is still tough add more water and cook down again, repeating the process until meat is tender.
  3. While stew is reducing cut rutabaga into small uniform chunks and place in a pot of cold water until ready to cook.
  4. Back to the stew, when meat is tender add carrots and cook until carrots are at desired tenderness.
  5. Back to the rutabaga, bring water w/rutabaga to a boil. Boil until rutabaga is tender. Drain water and mash with a potato masher. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Time for plating, in four shallow bowls place 1/4th of rutabaga. Around each rutabaga serving, spoon the stew, so that with each spoon or fork full you can sample a bit of the rutabaga with every bite.