BBQ Beef Stew with Street Corn Polenta and Chili Crisp

Prep Time: 10 Mins

Cook Time: 3 Hours

Total Time: 3 Hours 10 Mins

Serves: 6

This BBQ Beef Stew with Street Corn Polenta and Chili Crisp has everything you love about your grandmother’s stew recipe and more! Fork-tender beef in a rich barbecue sauce, served over warm polenta, topped with toasty chili crisp. But this recipe really shines in the details. The sauce is made with a great hack- just add instant coffee powder to store-bought barbecue sauce! It instantly adds a deep, roasted flavor that balances the sweetness of the sauce. And the polenta is equally easy to upgrade, with stir-ins of roasted corn, cotija cheese and green onion, transforming it into a creamy, cheesy street corn-inspired side dish. The stew simmers to perfection mostly hands-free, so you’ll be amazed at how easy this family-friendly dish is to pull together!

Ingredients

Swap Protein

Thomas Farms Boneless Beef for Stew

2 pounds Thomas Farms Boneless Beef for Stew, cut into 1-to 1 ½-inch cubes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 extra large onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 cups water
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 ½ cups uncooked instant polenta
1 cup frozen roasted corn kernels, thawed
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup thinly sliced green onion (optional)
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons mild chili crisp(a Chinese condiment with crunchy bits of chiles)

Instructions

Season the beef with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and cook until well browned, removing the browned beef to a bowl. Do not pour off drippings.
Add the onion to the drippings in the pot and cook until tender. Return the beef to the pot, with any beef juices from the bowl. Stir in the water, barbecue sauce and instant coffee and heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.
During the last 30 minutes of the beef cooking time, prepare the polenta according to the package directions. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, the corn, cheese, sour cream, green onion, if desired, and ¼ cup cilantro.
Serve the beef mixture with the polenta. Drizzle with the chili crisp and sprinkle
with the remaining ¼ cup cilantro before serving.

To make in the oven, prepare as shown above in Steps 1 and 2. Then, cover and bake at 350°F for 2 hours or until the beef is fork tender. Then, proceed with Steps 4 and 5 as shown.

To make your own roasted corn, heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels and cook for 5 minutes or until the corn is slightly charred, stirring occasionally.

Ingredients

Swap Protein

Thomas Farms Boneless Lamb Stew

2 pounds Thomas Farms Boneless Lamb Stew
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 extra large onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
2 cups water
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 ½ cups uncooked instant polenta
1 cup frozen roasted corn kernels, thawed
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup thinly sliced green onion (optional)
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons mild chili crisp(a Chinese condiment with crunchy bits of chiles)

Instructions

Season the lamb with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and cook until well browned, removing the browned lamb to a bowl. Do not pour off drippings.
Add the onion to the drippings in the pot and cook until tender. Return the lamb to the pot, with any juices from the bowl. Stir in the water, barbecue sauce and instant coffee and heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.
During the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, prepare the polenta according to the package directions. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, the corn, cheese, sour cream, green onion, if desired, and ¼ cup cilantro.
Serve the lamb mixture with the polenta. Drizzle with the chili crisp and sprinkle
with the remaining ¼ cup cilantro before serving.

To make in the oven, prepare as shown above in Steps 1 and 2. Then, cover and bake at 350°F for 2 hours or until the lamb is fork tender. Then, proceed with Steps 4 and 5 as shown.