Beef Stew
There's stew and then there's stew. The watery kind where you're basically drinking beef-flavored broth with a spoon? That's soup pretending to be stew. Real stew is thick. Chunky. The kind where you
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast (cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup red wine (or extra broth)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 pound baby potatoes (halved)
- 3 large carrots (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 stalks celery (sliced)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
Method
Step 1: Sear the beef
- Pat the beef dry. Season generously. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef in batches — about 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Don't move the pieces around. Let the crust form. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Build the base
- In the same pot, lower heat to medium. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir for a minute until the paste darkens. Sprinkle flour over everything and stir for another minute.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce by half. Add the broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the beef to the pot.
Step 3: Braise
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and either move to a 300°F oven for 1.5 hours, or keep on the stovetop at a low simmer. After 1.5 hours, add the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cook for another 45-60 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the beef falls apart.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the stew is thinner than you want, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to reduce.