LAILA'S STEWED BEEF WITH CREAMY CHEESE GRITS

Laila's Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheese Grits image

Provided by Food Network

Time 3h30m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

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3 pounds lean stew meat
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 whole red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole yellow onion, diced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups grits
Pinch salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons light butter
2 cups fat free half-and-half
2 cups grated Cheddar
1 cup grated jack cheese

Steps:

For the stewed beef: Sprinkle the meat with the salt. In a Dutch oven, brown the stew meat in the olive oil over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and add the garlic, celery, green onions, yellow onions, poblano peppers and bell peppers; saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and beef broth, Stir, and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Keep an eye on the pot as you may need to add more broth or water if it cooks down too much before meat is tender. It's ready when the meat is fork tender and the liquid has thickened into a stew.
For the creamy cheese grits: Start preparing the grits during the last hour of cooking time. Heat the olive oil and saute the onions over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 3 cups water, grits and salt and pepper; stir and bring to a boil. Next, add the butter. Reduce the heat and cook on low, about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir often to prevent clumping. Add the half-and-half and continue cooking until the grits are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the stove, add the cheeses and stir until smooth and creamy. Add more half-and-half as needed.
Serve the stewed beef with the grits.