Reney Ching credits her Chinese grandmother for inspiring the beef stew she makes as head cook at Punahou School, a fitting thought as Mother’s Day approaches on Sunday.

"She made one of the best stews ever," Ching says.

That’s not a claim Meredith Prock would make. She asked for Ching’s recipe. "It’s the best and I need it as I’m a lousy stew-maker."

Her grandmother’s technique, Ching says, was to make a beef broth first, simmering the meat in water with a bit of salt, then turning that broth into a gravy, then adding vegetables. All the while the meat simmers its way to tenderness.

Basically, she says, "you create a beautiful beef broth, adding a little bouillon to help it." Tomato sauce and cornstarch turn it into gravy. In a twist, this recipe calls for pearl onions, which are a fine touch.

PUNAHOU SCHOOL BEEF STEW

4 cups water
5 pounds boneless beef short ribs or chuck roast, cut in bite-size cubes, rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons beef bouillon (4 large cubes)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
3 large red potatoes, peeled and cut in large pieces (don’t cut pieces too small or they will disintegrate while cooking)
16 ounces pearl onions, peeled (see note)
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery

Bring water to boil; add beef and salt. Cover and simmer over medium heat 1 hour. Meat will be cooked through but might be tough. Do not be alarmed.

Add bouillon, garlic and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 30 minutes for short ribs, up to 1 hour for chuck roast.

Add cornstarch mixture gradually, stirring to thicken sauce to desired consistency (you may not need all the cornstarch).

Add potatoes, onions, carrots and celery; simmer another 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Serves 10.

Note: Fresh pearl onions can be found in bags near the onions in the produce section of supermarkets. To save having to peel, buy frozen onions and add in last 10 minutes of cooking time. Or substitute a large regular onion, cut in wedges.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 550 calories, 24 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 135 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,500 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 48 g protein

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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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