Description
Hearty beef stew from grandma’s kitchen delivers rich, comforting flavors perfect for chilly evenings. Tender meat and robust vegetables simmer together, creating a memorable meal you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) beef stew meat
Vegetables:
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 potatoes, cubed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) beef broth
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a spacious Dutch oven at medium-high temperature, methodically searing meat segments until golden brown and caramelized on all surfaces, transferring browned pieces to a separate plate.
- In the same pot, gently sweat chopped onions and minced garlic until translucent and fragrant, incorporating tomato paste and stirring continuously for approximately 60 seconds to intensify flavors.
- Deglaze the cooking vessel with red wine, allowing liquid to reduce and concentrate, scraping accumulated browned bits from bottom of pot for enhanced depth.
- Reintroduce seared meat to the pot, complementing with rich beef broth, aromatic thyme sprigs, and single bay leaf, raising temperature until mixture reaches a robust boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover pot securely, and allow stew to gently simmer for 90-120 minutes, ensuring meat becomes extraordinarily tender and succulent.
- Incorporate chunky carrot pieces and diced potatoes, continuing to cook at low temperature for an additional 35-40 minutes until vegetables reach perfect tenderness.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, removing herb sprigs and bay leaf before presenting this hearty, comforting dish.
Notes
- Choose chuck roast or beef stew meat with good marbling for maximum tenderness and rich flavor.
- Brown meat in small batches to ensure proper caramelization and develop deep, complex taste without steaming the meat.
- Deglaze the pot with red wine to lift delicious browned bits from bottom, adding depth and complexity to the stew’s overall flavor profile.
- Adjust cooking liquid consistency by adding more broth if stew becomes too thick during long simmering process, maintaining ideal sauce texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 332 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg