Ina Garten Just Shared the Two Secret Ingredients She Uses In Her ‘Ramped Up’ Beef Stew
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Beef stew is a winter classic and you better believe we need some winter comfort food right now. With much of the U.S. dealing with frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall, we’re in the mood for something warm, cozy, filling, and hearty. Of course, we don’t want the same old boring recipe we’ve made a hundred times. We left bland food back in 2023 so this year, we’re turning to the culinary queen herself, Ina Garten, for tips and tricks to ramp up the flavor in our beef stew this winter.
Taking to Instagram to share a mouthwateringly delicious picture of her new recipe, Garten revealed the two secret ingredients responsible for all of the extra, bold flavor in her new and improved beef stew and you may already have the ingredients at home.
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“I usually find beef stew boring, so I made my own version and ramped up the flavor,” Garten wrote on Instagram. “Full-bodied red wine and cognac give the sauce an extra edge.” Who knew the secret to a rich beef stew was hiding in our liquor cabinets this whole time?
On her Barefoot Contessa website, Garten specifies that she personally prefers a red wine like “a Côtes du Rhône or Chianti.” And if you’re out of cognac, you can use brandy instead.
Garten also shared that as opposed to chuck, which is traditionally used in many beef stew recipes, she substitutes in boneless short ribs because they “get very tender as they cook,” Garten writes.
In addition to the red wine, cognac, and boneless spare ribs, you’ll find common stew ingredients like onions, diced tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes in Garten’s recipe.
And in case you need it, you officially have our permission to cancel all of your weekend plans and instead, grab your favorite (and coziest) slippers, and a fuzzy blanket, put your go-to comfort movie or show on, and relax while enjoying a big bowl of Ina Garten’s ‘ultimate’ beef stew.
Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s ultimate beef stew from Barefoot Contessa
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