Eggplant Beef Stew Recipe

Cook meat: Place meat in a Dutch oven with the quartered onion over low heat. Put the lid on and let it cook for an hour without opening it. I recommend using the smallest burner on your stovetop.

Keep it low and slow: At the end of an hour, give it a stir, put the lid back on and let it continue to cook for another two hours. At the end of two hours, you will see that the meat will release most of its juices. Do not be tempted to increase the heat or move to a larger burner; the beauty of this recipe is to cook low and slow.

Finish beef: Continue to cook for another 2 hours, giving it a stir at the end of each hour mark. In the end, the meat should be super soft. Depending on the stew meat you are using, there may be some liquid in the pot, which is okay.

Remove meat: Remove the meat and onion (and all the juices) from the pot into a bowl, cover with foil, and set it aside. Do not wash the dutch oven.

Saute aromatics and spices: In the same dutch oven over medium heat, heat olive oil and add chopped pepper, tomato paste, ground cumin, and paprika. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add veggies: Add the cubed eggplant, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Simmer: Put the now-cooked beef, onion, and all of the juices back into the pot. Give it a quick stir, cover it with the lid, bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the frozen peas and let them come to one last boil.

Serve: When ready to serve, make sure to take out the bay leaf. Garnish with parsley and serve.