Old-fashioned beef stew, a New York Times Cooking classic

Five stars and thousands of reviews later, it's still just the thing for a brisk November night.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 8, 2024 Molly O'Neill's old-fashioned beef stew. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Old-fashioned beef stew, that classic rib-sticker By Sam Sifton Good morning. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a junior hunter program running this weekend out on Long Island. It's a chance for kids ages 12 to 15 to take to the marsh or the water, accompanied by a licensed adult, to target ducks, coots, mergansers, brants and the Canada geese my father always called flying roast beef. I won't be going out — my children are grown. But I'll still make the old-fashioned beef stew (above) that my old man liked so much after putting me through a cold day out in Northwest Creek when I was a kid. It's a Molly O'Neill recipe, a rib-sticker to consume in the wake of blown shots and successful harvests alike, and it brings joy along with comfort. Sometimes that's just the thing for a November night. Featured Recipe Old-Fashioned Beef Stew View Recipe → But of course I'm practicing for Thanksgiving this weekend, too. (Practice is what makes the feast work, and don't you forget it.) I want to try Sarah DiGregorio's new recipe for a slow-cooker turkey breast to see if it might join my roast turkey and smoked turkey in this year's rotation. It profiles as moist. I like that. (With the slow cooker out, I might also consider slow-cooker pulled pork with jalapeño, for lunch tangles next week.) Also, Melissa Clark's recipe for shredded butternut squash with brown butter, sage and pecans. I like the idea of cooking the shreds in brown butter until they're just tender. When it comes to butternut squash, I've been a mashed guy for so long. It could be time for something new. But because I've been to this rodeo a few times before, I'm also going to make some of these ol' reliable pie crusts for the freezer, against the beauties my family will bake in a couple of weeks. Then, far from the holiday and the duck blind, I'm going to make some vegetarian Reuben sandwiches for lunch at some point, and peanut butter miso cookies for afterward. Crisp lamb with yogurt and scallions for dinner that day? Yes, absolutely. Thousands and thousands more recipes to cook this weekend are waiting for you on New York Times Cooking. To answer a question that comes up relatively frequently: Yes, you need a subscription to read them. Subscriptions support our work and allow it to continue. If you haven't already, would you consider subscribing today? Thanks. Write to us at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you need assistance with your account. Someone will get back to you. Write to me if you've got complaints or compliments: foodeditor@nytimes.com. I can't respond to every letter. But I read each one I get. Now, it's a long, long way from anything to do with strawberry jam or udon noodles, but I liked Sloane Crosley in The New Yorker this week, on Dorothy Parker and the art of the literary takedown. It's not just me with the hunting reveries. For The New York Times this week, Kim Severson traveled to Minnesota to take part in an autumn turkey hunt with a woman named Kristie Swenstad. "I like the fact that I know where my food is coming from," Swenstad told Kim, "and I worked hard to get it on my table rather than just going to the store, where you don't know where it came from or what's in it." In The New York Times Book Review, Alexandra Jacobs reviewed Bill Zehme's biography of Johnny Carson, "Carson the Magnificent," "a memorial of the monoculture." So great. Finally, it's the birthday of Rickie Lee Jones. She is 70. Here she is on "The Old Grey Whistle Test," London, 1979. Kid sinister with the bus stop blues. I'll see you on Sunday. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Gravy By Sarah DiGregorio 12 1/2 hours Makes 5 to 7 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Slow-Cooker Jalapeño Pulled Pork By Ali Slagle About 6½ hours Makes 4 servings Evan Sung for The New York Times Shredded Butternut Squash With Brown Butter, Sage and Pecans By Melissa Clark 20 minutes Makes 8 to 10 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich By Ali Slagle 15 minutes Makes 1 sandwich David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Peanut Butter-Miso Cookies By Krysten Chambrot 30 minutes, plus chilling Makes About 18 cookies Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Erika Joyce. Pie Crust By Melissa Clark 15 minutes, plus chilling Makes One 9-inch single pie crust Sign up for Dinner Tonight One quick and easy recipe in your inbox each night to answer that eternal question: What's for dinner? Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018