Beef Stew Cobbler

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs lean stewing beef, trimmed of all fat and connective tissue and cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery, cleaned and sliced
• 1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cups beef stock (or 1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups water)
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 ounce flour
• 8 ounces flour
• 1 ounce butter
• 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (not the creamy sauce)

Recipe

• 1 pre-heat oven to 425°f.
• 2 mix together in a large bowl the flour, salt and pepper; add in the beef and mix well to coat all beef cubes.
• 3 heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan.
• 4 add just enough beef to the pan for one layer and not overcrowding, frying until golden brown; remove browned beef to a large 13 x 9 inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining beef, as many batches as necessary.
• 5 add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the vegetables, just until the onion and celery begins to soften but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• 6 remove vegetables to the baking dish.
• 7 add the stock to the frying pan and boil for a minute to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan, then add the stock to the baking dish.
• 8 add the wine and the bay leaf to the baking dish.
• 9 cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• 10 a few minutes before this time has elapsed, make the cobbler in a large bowl by rubbing the butter into the flour (until the butter is no longer discernible).
• 11 mix in the parsley and 6 oz of the grated cheese.
• 12 in a smaller separate bowl beat together the eggs, milk and horseradish; add to the flour mixture and mix well.
• 13 at the end of the 1 hr 15 min baking time, remove the baking dish from the oven.
• 14 for the thickening, add the 1 oz butter to the baking dish, and sprinkle in the flour (a little at a time, mixing well after each addition).
• 15 you have the choice of applying the cobbler by spoonfuls (for a rustic look) atop the stew, or you may easily roll it out with a rolling pin (after kneading it a couple of times) to approximately the size of your pan and applying it as one crust; i prefer to roll it out, then cut it in 8 squares, applying each separately.
• 16 top the cobbler topping with the remaining grated cheese.
• 17 return the baking dish to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.