Beef Chuck

Boeuf à la Mode This old-fashioned pot roast recipe was given to food editor Ruth Cousineau by her late mother-in-law, Mary Cousineau, who learned it from her own French-Canadian mother-in-law. Ruth has substituted allspice for the more difficult-to-find quatre épices, which Mary used to flavor the meat. Like any pot roast, this one tastes even better made ahead and reheated. Drizzle the pan juices over steamed potatoes or serve the sliced meat over noodles.

It's easy to stereotype salad as summertime fare, but this dish proves otherwise. Shredded beef and warm potatoes pair up with a lively mustard vinaigrette to create this satisfying meal.

This tender chuck roast makes two meals. Most of the meat is sliced and served with onion gravy, accompanied by egg noodles, and the rest gets shredded and saved for a warm beef salad . You might want to round out the first meal with a green salad or sautéed spinach.

Flavia Schepmans of New York, New York, writes: "One of many Belgian regional variations, this beef stew hails from my mother's natal city, Ghent." Our associate art director Flavia Schepmans's mother uses American-style beer in this recipe. If you want to try another beer, go for a Belgian ale — an imported pilsner might be too bitter.

This recipe is adapted from George Lang's book The Cuisine of Hungary.

Khoresht Gheimeh This Persian stew recipe is adapted from the one that chef Homa Khakpour serves at Shiraz Kabab Cafe and Food Market. It's a terrific main course, which she pairs with chelo (steamed rice with melted butter). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

This Swedish stew called Sjömansbiffgryta is one of the most typical family stews, which every Swede knows. This is one of those "lots of bang for the buck" types of stews. It's so simple, yet the taste it delivers is so satisfying. It is best to cook it in an enameled cast-iron casserole because it goes into a very hot oven for quite a while, and all the liquid gets absorbed and the casserole becomes a little crusty. I know it seems like an awfully long time to keep a stew in such a hot oven, but trust me, it works. You can deglaze the casserole with a bit of water if you like and pour it over the stew, which should be transferred to a serving bowl.

(Crisp-Fried Beef-Stuffed Corn Tortillas)

This venerable cold-weather dish has never looked so pretty or tasted so good. Partner it with a tossed green salad and French bread. Uncork a dry red wine.

Pass grated cheddar cheese and extra salsa at the table.

John C. Ryan, Murphysboro, Ill.
"My wife used to make a better chili than I do, which is how this recipe got its name."

Naomi Wagman Kirstein of Danvers, Massachusetts, writes: "I would love to have the recipe for the West Indian beef stew served at The Golden Lemon Inn & Villas on St. Kitts, in the West Indies." The green olives in this recipe cut the richness of the stew by adding a slightly pungent flavor.<

In this typical Northern Italian entrée, polenta is topped with a rich and meaty ragù. Begin preparing the dish one day before you plan to serve it.