THE rainy season, as long as it brings just enough water and not disastrous floods, is a welcome break from the scorching summer months. Out are the garden dinners and outdoor grills and in its place are cozy, rainy nights indoors enjoying warming food and a nice drink.

Soups and stews are great rainy-season food. While the summer heat demanded light and refreshing food, the wet months beg for rich, warming dishes. Staying indoors isn’t all that bad when you have great company and good, simple food to share.

Stews are hands down my favorite thing to cook. Aside from being cheaper to make (the tougher cuts are less expensive), the minimal effort involved and the long cooking time gives me plenty of time to do other things. Stews don’t need to be tended. Once simmering, you can literally forget about it for a few hours.

And in those few hours that you’ve left it alone, all the hard work that the animal has done to toughen the meat turns gooey and soft and tasty.

Stews are made from cuts that have seen the most action. Legs, shins, feet—all these have borne the weight and work the animal has done throughout its life. Sinew, cartilage, tendons and muscle have all been put to work, thus giving these cuts the most flavor and the best texture for us to enjoy.

Of all the cuts for stewing, shanks are definitely the best! Meaty, sticky and with the bonus of the marrow, I can think of only a handful of things better.

I intentionally made this month’s stew as simple as possible. This just goes to show how great a cut shank is. Wine, onions, carrots, garlic and celery are the only main ingredients with a few herbs added. This, cooked for a few hours, results in the richest, stickiest and most tender and tasty stew you can make.

Bacon, mushrooms and other veggies may be added but as it is, this is already an awesome dish for those rainy nights. All you need is a few glasses of your favorite red, and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if it’s pouring outside. Enjoy!

Beef Shanks in Red Wine

Ingredients:

4 beef shanks

1 cup flour

2 large onions, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 head garlic, peeled

2 pcs bay leaf

1 tbsp whole black peperrcorns

3 stalks rosemary

1 bottle red wine

water to cover

salt to taste

Procedure

Season beef shanks and dredge lightly in flour. In hot oil, sear beef till brown all around. Set aside. In the same pan, sauté garlic, onion, carrot and celery till browned. Add beef back and pour wine. Add just enough water to cover beef. Add bay leaves and rosemary stalks. Simmer gently for two to three hours or until beef is very tender. Carefully take beef out, and reduce sauce till thick. Strain sauce and pour over beef. Serve with sautéed or mashed potatoes or bread, even rice.