Before the pandemic, seemingly a long, long time ago, I used to gather in-person with people. Some of those occasions were welcoming feasts for new guests to the fraternal organization I am involved with. This stew is the one I would make for that feast. Between the pandemic and the whole having a baby thing (he is now 5) before that, I had not had it in many years.

I found myself facing a cool day in the pit of hell that is north Texas and said to myself, I need Welcome Guest Stew (or something similar). I began inventorying my items by. memory and searching my email from when I had distributed the recipe in an event packet where I used to give out recipes for feasts.

This stew is modified from a recipe originally printed in Gourmet in 1954. You can use any protein, though lamb is traditional. I usually do beef. I also only know how to make it BIG. It is worth it. Serve with rice, couscous, or your other favorite substrate. Freeze the rest for later. You will thank me.

As always, I recommend you prep all ingredients before you begin.

Welcome Guest Stew

Active time: 1 hr.

Total cooking: 3.5 hours.

Serves 12+, depending on how many other things you serve.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs boneless beef, lamb, pork, etc., shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1.5″ cubes
• 1/4-cup olive oil
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 10 large tomatoes (5-lbs), peeled, quartered, and seeded (or 1-2 can whole, peeled tomatoes, cut up, juice retained)
• 5-cups canned V-8 or other vegetable juice or brother or even water
• 1-tsp salt
• 1-tsp black pepper
• 2 fresh poblano peppers, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1-tsp dried thyme
• 1-tsp dried oregano
• 1-tsp dried rosemary
• 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 1 pinch saffron

• 4 carrots, sliced ½” thick
• 6 medium sweet potatoes, cut into ½” cubes
• 4 red bell peppers, cut into ½” pieces
• 1 ½-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½” cubes
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1 ½” thick
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and skins slipped off

Instructions

1. Pat meat dry. Heat oil in a 10+-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown in 2 batches, transferring to a bowl to reserve. See dietary restrictions below for meat substitutes and when to use.
2. Add onions to pot and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in meat with any accumulated juices from bowl, tomatoes, juice/broth, salt and pepper, poblanos, herbs, and saffron.
3. Simmer, covered, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Stir in carrots, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and squash. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Stir in zucchini, chickpeas, and any meat alternatives. Simmer covered until zucchini is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Serve over rice or couscous.

So good! Easily adapted to various dietary restrictions. Warming, heart and soul.

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Modifications for Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten-Free: good to go as long as you do not add seitan.
• Keto: substitute more butternut squash for sweet potatoes. Serve on cauliflower rice.
• Paleo: serve on cauliflower rice.
• Vegan: reduce simmer time in step 3 to 30 minutes; substitute meat with mushrooms (add with carrots); extra-firm seitan (beware adds gluten!); tempeh, tofu (sauté until golden, reserve like meat, add with zucchini), canned black beans, drained (add with zucchini); dry lentils (add with tomatoes).