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Beef Stew

Beef stew with fall-apart beef cubes and a deep mahogany broth, thickened with a light flour sear and tomato paste. Simmered until tender with potatoes and carrots, then finished with quick-cooking peas.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and vegetables
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck Cut into 1.5-inch cubes.
  • 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes Cubed.
  • 3 carrots Cut into thick rounds.
  • 3 celery Sliced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 1 cup frozen peas Added at the end.
Broth and seasoning
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour Used to coat the beef; measure 1/4 cup (see next item) for the slurry coating.
Thickener, aromatics, and finishing
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour Coating for the beef: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 salt To taste.
  • 0.5 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the beef
  1. Toss the beef chuck cubes with the 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to coat evenly.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat, then sear the floured beef in batches until deeply browned, about 6-8 minutes per batch; remove to a plate.
Build the stew base
  1. Add the diced onion, thick-cut carrots, and sliced celery to the Dutch oven and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darkened.
Simmer until tender
  1. Pour in the red wine and deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  2. Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, dried thyme, bay leaves, and the browned beef; bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer 60-75 minutes, until the beef is very tender.
Finish with potatoes and peas
  1. Add the cubed Yukon gold potatoes and cook 20 minutes, until tender.
  2. Stir in the frozen peas and cook 3 minutes, just until bright green and heated through.
  3. Remove bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: browning the beef in batches prevents steaming and gives the stew its deeper flavor; keep the simmer gentle so the meat stays tender. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the beef coating.