It has been a while since I have made this ginger beef stew for my hunny. For some reason I was re-inspired. Maybe it was the fresh shipment of Big Island Beef stew sent to my corner grocery store here in Pāpaʻaloa. I used to make this ginger & squash version of beef stew almost weekly for my hunny. My method is pretty dialed. I hope you find this recipe easy to follow. It is pretty forgiving. The most important part is that you cook the beef long enough. If you use tamari instead of soy sauce, and a gluten-free thickener this recipe is gluten-free and dairy free.
Ingredients for Pumpkin & Ginger Beef Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound grass-fed beef stew meat
- 3 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, sliced in whole, thin rounds
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1-2 inches thick ginger, peeled and chopped in big slices
- about ½ cup dry red wine
- ½ medium size tropical winter squash like Kabocha.
- 2 potatoes, washed, skinned, quartered and chopped
- 2 tablespoons organic soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- about 2 tablespoons flour or thickener of your choice (I alternate with whatever is closest to reach – tapioca starch, cassava flour, rice flour)
- fresh herbs of your choice – I use whatever I have growing which right now was rosemary, oregano, stick thyme, and parsley. I skipped the basil because the others were more potent spices when cooked down.
- 2 Hawaiian chili peppers if desired
(optional: more veggies like red pepper, herbs, green beans, peas, etc).
Steps for Ginger Beef Stew with Pumpkin
- Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until aromatic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot
- Add stew meat and stir consistently until the meat starts to brown
- Once browned and sticking to bottom, deglaze pot with ¼ cup red wine and scrap brown bits until pot is clean.
- add 6 cups of water bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and bring to simmer for about 2 hours, adding more water as need to keep the beef stew submerged.
- add the squash in one whole piece and potatoes quartered
- simmer another 30-45 minutes until beef begins to fall apart
- add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- add salt and pepper to taste
- stir in fresh herbs and finish for another 10 minutes, making sure beef is tender and easy to cut in half with fork.
- Remove some of the broth and taste it for flavor. Then, stir in 1-2 tablespoons flour with a whisk into hot broth to dissolve.
- Add flour broth mixture to pot and allow to thicken for a few minutes before removing from heat.
Enjoy over a scoop of rice!
If you like this recipe maybe you will be interested in my Big Island Beef Shepards Pie.
