It seems only natural that chef Richard Howze has taken the reins of the restaurant at this artisanal organic farm, a top pick of local gourmands. He made a name for himself at Summerlin Jake’s and then Table & Tap for his steadfast devotion to using the highest-quality ingredients. At Rosy Tomorrows, he’s found nirvana. “I stand in my kitchen; I look at my cows. I walk out and see my chickens roosting. It’s just too cool,” he says. Even at home he stresses using grass-finished meat. “It absolutely gives the dish a richer, deeper flavor.”
8250 Nalle Grade Road, North Fort Myers, 567-6000, rosytomorrowsheritagefarm.com
Ingredients
1⁄4 cup beef tallow
2 pounds 100 percent grass-fed (“grass-finished”) beef, cubed
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1⁄2 pound sliced hearty mushroom variety, such as crimini, royal trumpet and button
1 cup sherry wine
2 quarts grass-fed beef bone broth
1 bay leaf
1⁄4 cup organic cornstarch (optional)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Cooked brown rice or legumes, for serving
Directions
1. Heat beef tallow in a deep pot until sizzling. Carefully add beef and brown about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how fast the liquid evaporates.
2. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add bone broth and bay leaf and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes, being careful to check the liquid periodically and adding more bone broth or water if necessary.
4. For a thicker consistency, mix in cornstarch if desired. Add salt and pepper, then adjust seasonings to taste. To serve, spoon stew over brown rice or legumes.
