Beef Stew In A Pumpkin

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 (12 lb) plump, very fresh pumpkin (with a wide, steady base)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs beef, cut in 1" cubes
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup coarsely chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 cup madeira wine or 1 cup dry sherry
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 lb zucchini, slices about 1/4" thick
• 1 cup corn
• 12 -14 dried apricots
• 12 -14 pitted prunes
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves

Recipe

• 1 scrub pumpkin well.
• 2 heat 3 tablespoons oil in 5 quart casserole over medium heat.
• 3 add beef in batches to brown on all sides.
• 4 warm brandy, ignite and pour over beef.
• 5 transfer meat to platter and set aside.
• 6 in same casserole pot, combine oil, onion, green pepper and garlic, cooking over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• 7 add stock and madeira and bring to boil.
• 8 scrape sides and return meat and juices to pot.
• 9 stir in tomatoes, salt, oregano, pepper, bay leaf, and cloves.
• 10 cover, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
• 11 add potatoes and cook 15 minutes more.
• 12 stir in zucchini and cook 10 minutes more.
• 13 add corn, apricots and prunes and cook another 5 minutes.
• 14 keep stew warm on low heat while preparing pumpkin.
• 15 preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
• 16 cut pumpkin about 3 or 4 inches from top to form a lid and do not remove stem!
• 17 scrape out seeds and string fibers from lid and base.
• 18 brush melted margarine inside pumpkin and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
• 19 replace lid and bake pumpkin in roasting pan about 40 minutes.
• 20 pour juices from pumpkin into stew and stir well.
• 21 place stew into pumpkin and bake about 15 minutes longer.