Hearty Winter Beef Stew with Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle Pearls

Serves 6 | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 2.5 hours

When winter winds blow and you crave ultimate comfort, this rich beef stew elevated with Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle Pearls delivers restaurant-quality warmth in every spoonful. Each pearl bursts with intense truffle flavor that transforms traditional comfort food into gourmet dining.

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg / 3.3lb beef chuck, cut into 4cm cubes
• 4-5 tablespoons Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle Pearls or your favourite
• 5 tablespoons Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 4 carrots, chunked
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 750ml / 3 cups red wine (or less if you prefer)
• 1L / 4 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 400g 1lb baby potatoes, halved

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Beef: Pat beef cubes dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss in flour until well coated.

2. Brown the Meat: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, ensuring each piece develops a rich crust. Remove and set aside.

3. Build the Base: In the same pot, sauté onions until softened (5 minutes). Add carrots, celery, and garlic, cooking until fragrant.

4. Deglaze: Stir in tomato paste and Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle, then slowly add red wine, scraping up all those beautiful browned bits from the bottom.

5. Slow Cook Magic: Return beef to pot, add stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours until beef is fork-tender.

6. Add Potatoes: In the final 30 minutes, add baby potatoes and continue cooking until tender.

7. The Truffle Pearl Finish: Just before serving, generously scatter Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle Pearls over each bowl. The pearls provide incredible bursts of umami-rich truffle flavor that elevate every spoonful!

8. Serve with Love: Ladle into warm bowls, ensuring each serving gets plenty of those precious truffle pearls.

Why This Combination Works: The rich, slow-cooked flavors of traditional beef stew create the perfect canvas for truffle balsamic pearls. Each pearl delivers an intense burst of sophisticated truffle essence that transforms humble comfort food into gourmet dining without losing that cozy, warming appeal.

Perfect for Australian Winters: While our USA friends fire up summer grills, this recipe celebrates the beauty of Australian winter cooking - slow, comforting, and deeply satisfying. The award-winning Sticky Balsamic Premium Truffle Pearls add that special touch that makes ordinary weeknight dinners feel like special occasions.

Make-Ahead Tips:

• Stew tastes even better the next day - the flavors meld beautifully
• Add truffle pearls fresh each time you serve for maximum impact
• Freezes well for up to 3 months (add fresh pearls after reheating)

Serving Suggestions: Serve with crusty bread, creamy mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles. The truffle pearls work beautifully with any of these accompaniments.

Wine Pairing: A robust Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon complements both the rich stew and the intense truffle flavors perfectly.