Butternut Beef Stew

The driving conversation happened on Sunday. David drove down and we sat at the kitchen table, all three of us, with coffee, and David told his father, in the careful doctor-voice he uses when he is trying not to sound like a doctor, that it might be time to think about reducing driving. Marvin listened. He did not argue, which surprised me — I had prepared for an argument, had rehearsed my supporting points the way I rehearse class discussions — but he listened and then he said, "I know." Just that. I know. And then he was quiet for a minute and he said, "Your mother drives." And David said, "Yes, Pop." And we agreed that I would drive, that Marvin would be driven, and that we would revisit the arrangements as needed. And then we all had more coffee and nobody said anything more about it.

I don't know what the silence in that conversation cost Marvin. He didn't let me see. He is private about the losses the way my father was private about pain — not denial, exactly, more like a dignity that refuses to display what it cannot change. I respect this in a man. I have also been crying in the car on the way to school, which is where I allow myself to cry, because the car is private and school is not, and thirty teenagers do not need their English teacher's grief alongside their own considerable burdens.

Jennifer is in her final month. David says she is tired but fine, that the pregnancy has been uncomplicated, that they are ready. I asked if they needed anything. He said what he always says: "We're good, Mom." I drove to White Plains on Saturday and brought a brisket and two containers of soup and a kugel, because "we're good" does not mean "we don't need brisket." Jennifer opened the door and said, "Oh thank God," which I took as a compliment. March in the kitchen means Passover is six weeks away, and the early preparations begin: inventorying the special dishes, the Passover cookbooks coming off the shelf.

The brisket I brought to David's was Sylvia's recipe, which is also my recipe, which will be whoever comes next's recipe. The brisket is a document. You pass it forward. That is the point.

Sylvia’s brisket is not always possible — not every kitchen has the time, and not every week has the steadiness required to tend a low oven for three hours. But a good beef stew is brisket’s honest cousin: the same patience, the same alchemy of tough meat going tender in its own time, the same message delivered to whoever opens the door. I have made this Butternut Beef Stew on the weeks when I needed something warm to do with my hands, and I have brought it places the way you bring anything that matters — carefully, without making a speech about it.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Season and dredge the beef. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, then toss lightly with the flour to coat.
Brown the beef. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside. Do not crowd the pan — proper browning is what gives the stew its depth.
Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to the same pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with wine. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
Build the stew. Return the beef to the pot. Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, thyme, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Add the squash and carrots. Stir in the butternut squash and carrots. Re-cover and continue to simmer for 45 minutes more, until the beef is fork-tender and the squash is soft but holds its shape.
Adjust and finish. Taste and adjust salt as needed. If the stew is thinner than you like, simmer uncovered for an additional 10–15 minutes to reduce. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Butternut Beef Stew — The Recipe You Bring When "We're Good" Isn't the Whole Truth