The Ultimate Hearty Beef Stew
Looking for the ultimate winter comfort food? This hearty beef stew features tender chuck roast, root vegetables, and a rich red wine broth made in one pot.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry red wine (optional)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp Better-than-Beef Bouillon pate
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ lbs Unpeeled Russet potatoes, cut into chunks (or Yukon Gold)
- 1 12oz bag baby carrots
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water if needed for thickening
Instructions
Season and brown the beef
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides. Avoid crowding the pan. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
Build the flavor
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 4–5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Deglaze the pot
- Pour in the red wine, if using, and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Gradually stir in the beef broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Slowly braise the beef
- Bring the stew to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for approximately 1½ hours.
- Keep the stew at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. This helps the chuck roast become tender.
Add the vegetables
- Stir in the potatoes and carrots. Cover and simmer for another 45–60 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Finish the stew
- Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
- If the gravy needs thickening, stir in the cornstarch slurry a little at a time and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving.
