Beef, Eggplant, and Bell Pepper Stew

Ingredients

Beef (chuck/shoulder): 1 kg (2.2 lbs)
Eggplants: 2 medium (600 g / 1.3 lbs)
Green bell peppers: 2 (250 g / 0.55 lbs)
Peeled tomatoes (canned/fresh): 500 g (2 cups)
Beef broth: 1 L (4 cups / 34 fl oz)
Onion: 1 medium (150 g / 5 oz)
Olive oil: 6 tbsp (90 ml)
Bay leaves: 2
Thyme: 5-6 sprigs
Garlic: 1 head (8-10 cloves)
Optional: 1 small hot pepper
Salt: to taste

Cooking Instructions

Prep: Cut beef into 2-3 cm (1 in) chunks, eggplants and bell peppers into 5 cm (2 in) sticks, onion finely diced, garlic minced, and hot pepper if using) chopped.

Sear: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
Brown beef (5-7 min), add onion, cook until soft (5 min).

Fry Veggies: In a skillet, heat 3 tbsp olive oil. Fry eggplant until golden (5-7 min), then bell peppers until soft (3-4 min).

Combine: Add eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and hot pepper to pot. Season with salt.

Simmer: Cover, cook on low for 1.5-2 hours until beef is tender. Stir occasionally.

Serve: Remove bay leaves and thyme. Serve hot over rice.

Chef's Note

Enjoy!