Skipperlabskovs (Beef and Potato Stew)
A hearty and tasty stew for the colder months, made with plenty of meat and potatoes for the ultimate filling dinner dish!
Ingredients
STEW:
- 2 tbsp neutral oil for cooking
- 575 grams beef; chuck roast or "stew meat" *make sure you're using a cut meant for cooking a while!
- 190 grams onion
- 575 grams potatoes *we use gold potatoes, but you can use whichever kind you prefer!
- 500 ml beef stock
- 3-4 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 240 ml water *if needed
- Fresh parsley (for garnish) *optional
- Chives (for garnish) *optional
FOR SERVING:
- Pickled beets
- Sliced rye bread
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
- Cut the beef into 3/4" to 1" sized cubes. Please note that you can use different amounts of beef and adjust the amount of stock needed; we tend to use equal weight amounts of beef and potato based on what the package of beef weighs from the grocery store!
- Season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the onion by peeling and then cutting it into slices. Set aside until ready to use later in the recipe.
- Preheat a dutch oven or pot over medium to high heat. Add in neutral oil.
- Add in beef cubes, making sure that all the beef is touching the bottom to get some browning. If you need to cook this in batches so the meat doesn't crowd the pan, feel free to do so!
- Flip the beef after a few minutes of cooking.
- After the beef has browned, add the onions and mix around well; begin to scrape up any of the browned bits around the pot.
- After a few minutes, the onion should start to soften. Add in the beef broth, and continue to stir and scrape the bottom if you have any bits stuck.
- Add in bay leaves to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat (to low) and cover.
- Cook the beef and onions in the broth for around 1 hour, checking occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and that it's still simmering. Adjust the heat if necessary.
- While the beef and onions are cooking, prepare your potatoes by washing and peeling them (you can leave them unpeeled if you want, it's a texture preference!).
- Dice the potatoes into 3/4" to 1" cubes.
- Remove the bay leaves from the pot after the hour of cooking time has passed.
- Add the potatoes into the pot and stir to distribute.
- If needed, add up to a cup more of water to cover the potatoes.
- Bring back to a simmer (raise the heat if needed, then lower again before covering) and cover the pot and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.
- After 20-30 minutes, the potatoes should start to soften. At this point, we like to uncover the pot to let some of the liquid evaporate.
- Cook uncovered and at a simmer for another 15 minutes.
- At this point, the potatoes should start to break down a little bit and thicken the stew. You can stir or crush a few potatoes to help with the process.
- Adjust for salt and pepper at the end of the cooking time.
- Serve with pickled beets on the side and slices of buttered rye bread. If you like, you can also serve with different vegetable sides. Enjoy!
