Oh, how I love a hearty bowl of beef stew! It’s the ultimate comfort food that warms both my body and soul. The beef is tender and succulent, cooked to perfection in a rich and flavorful broth. The medley of vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, and onions, adds a delightful sweetness and a pop of color to the dish.
To make it even more comforting, I love to add some aromatic herbs and spices, like thyme and bay leaves, which infuse the stew with their delightful fragrance. Whether enjoyed on a chilly winter evening or for a cozy family dinner, this beef stew recipe always satisfies my taste buds and leaves me wanting more.
Tips for Perfecting the Beef Stew
Searing the Beef: Searing the beef pieces before adding them to the stock is crucial. This step helps in caramelizing the meat, which adds a rich flavor to the stew.
Simmering: Allow the veggies and broth to simmer properly. This process helps in intensifying the flavors of the stew.
Thickening the Stew: The stew will naturally thicken due to the starches in the potatoes and the dredging of the beef. However, for additional thickness, a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water) can be used. This should be added to the boiling stew until the desired consistency is reached.
Using Leftover Vegetables: The recipe is versatile and allows for the use of leftover vegetables like roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, or fried mushrooms.
Cooking Time: If the beef is not tender after 60 minutes, it’s recommended to cover and allow it to simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Ingredients Needed for This Recipe
2 pounds stewing beef, trimmed and cubed
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cups beef broth
½ cup red wine (optional)
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or as needed)
2 tablespoons water (or as needed)
¾ cup peas
Instructions to Make This Beef Stew
Combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss beef in the flour mixture.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Cook the beef and onions until browned.
Add beef broth and red wine while scraping up any brown bits in the pan.
Stir in all remaining ingredients except for peas, cornstarch, and water. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender (up to 90 minutes).
Mix equal parts cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the boiling stew to reach the desired consistency (you may not need all of the slurry; if you’d like a thicker stew, you can add extra).
Stir in peas and simmer for 5-10 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcal0
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 tbsp. 1 vegetable oil
2 lb. 2 beef chuck stew meat, cubed into 1″ pieces
1 tbsp. 1 extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium 1 yellow onion, chopped
2 2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 2 stalks celery, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves 3 garlic, minced
1/4 c. 1/4 tomato paste
6 c. 6 low-sodium beef broth
1 c. 1 red wine
1 tbsp. 1 Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. 1 dried or fresh thyme leaves
2 2 bay leaves
1 lb. 1 baby potatoes, halved
1 c. 1 frozen peas
1/4 c. 1/4 freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Get a pot that’s heavy-bottomed and have medium heat on it, or a Dutch oven. Heat up the oil, putting the beef in there and then cook it until each side is seared, about 10 minutes, working in different batches as you need to. Put the beef on the plate.
- Add the veggies for about five minutes until everything’s softened up, and then add pepper and salt to season this. Add the tomato paste and garlic, cooking this until it smells and the paste looks darker.
- Put the beef in the Dutch oven again and add the broth, sauces, and the herbs together to this, and then, mix it all neatly together.
- Boil this, and then let it simmer, adding salt and pepper to let this cook for up to 45 minutes or so.
- Add the potatoes until they’re nice and tender, usually about 15 minutes.
- Take out the bay leaves, string in the peas until they are warmed up, usually about 2 minutes. Season this as needed, serve it in bowls, and then add a parsley to garnish this lovely mixture.
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