Cooking with Chef Jo: Using Up Leftovers

It's that time again. I'm cleaning out my refrigerator and organizing my little freezer. So what do you do with that serving or less of leftover meats and vegetables? I put my vegetables in a large freezer container and my leftover meats in a freezer bag. Waste not want not, right?

So what do you make with all that stuff you've save? A couple of things come to mind soups and stews instantly. When I was much younger I asked my Daddy what was the difference was between a soup and a stew. His response was, "What ever the cook says it was."

Over the years, no matter what country I was in or culinary class I was in the answer remained the same. Although, soups usually have a thinner base liquid. But I hear you, what about cream soups and chowders? Yep, it's whatever the cook says it is. So told I'm sharing my Mulligan Stew recipe. I did a video of making this years ago.

 Man! Has it been 2 years ago!

 

But I share the written recipe here. It sure will taste good on this cold winter night. For the video, I used stew meat and roasted beast both were leftovers from a previous meal but any meat will do. The meats alone were not enough for another meal, but plenty for this recipe.

My Grandmother's Mulligan Stew

For the video- serves 4

What you'll need

1 1/2 cups of meat, I used 
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 onion,chopped
                                                            3 cloves garlic, minced
                                                            4 ribs celery, chopped
                                                            2 lb carton organic, no salt beef broth or 1 1/2 qts
                                                             beef bone broth
                                                            1 qt leftover vegetables
                                                            1 tsp thyme
                                                            2 heaping TBS of tomato paste
                                                            1 cup red wine (opt)



Putting it together

• In a bowl add meat, flour, salt, and pepper.
• Toss until the meat is well coated.
• Place oil in bottom of a large pot, heat until it smokes.
• Add meat a little at a time so not to lower the temperature.
• Brown the meat until all pieces are browned. It does not need to be cooked through.
• Remove meat from the pot.
• Add butter and heat until melted
• Add onions, garlic and celery. Cook aromatics until tender and translucent.
• Add beef broth
• Add leftover vegetables- potatoes, carrots, corn, green peas, green peas, etc.
• Add thyme and tomato paste.
• Put the lid on the pot to cover.
• Stir until tomato paste is incorporated into the beef broth. 
• Turn heat down to low.
• Simmer for two hours.

Serving- In this video I made grits. I put half of a cup of prepared grits (also leftover from breakfast) in the bowl and served the stew over the top of the grits. But it can be served over rice or noodles just as easily or eat it plain. If I had of thought about it I would have made biscuits and side salads to go along with it. Nah, that would have been too much work. But you can if you want to. They'll never know it was all leftovers unless you tell them.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Jo