Beef Stew
Cold weather always calls for a delicious, warm and heart bowl of beef stew. There is literally nothing better. Beef stew is tricky because you don't want it to be super liquidy but you don't want it to be completely thick. It's supposed to be somewhere in the middle. Using a Dutch oven is really the best way to go here. I find the most crucial step to be the deglazing with red wine. This makes ALL the difference. Don't skip it!
Ingredients
- 2 lb Beef Stew Meat, Trimmed and Cut into 1" cubes
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 4 Carrots, Peeled and cut into chunks
- .5 lb Baby Dutch Potatoes
- 1 cup Red Wine
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1/4 cup AP Flour
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- .5 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or preferably Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Pat your meat dry and season with your salt and pepper.
- Add meat to pot and sear on sides, turning occasionally for about 7 minutes until all sides are browned. Don't overcrowd your pan. Do it in batches if needed.
- Remove the beef from the pan. Add in half a cup of the wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits.
- Add in your chopped onion and tomato paste and saute until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add in your garlic and saute for another minute.
- In a small bowl, combine your broth, flour and the rest of the red wine. Mix until flour has dissolved. Add liquid mixture to pot. The color will be weird but don't worry. Add in your bay leaf and your beef. Cover and let it simmer on low for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, check on the stew. If the liquid has evaporated too much, add more beef broth. Add in your chopped carrots and potatoes. You want to make sure the carrots and potatoes are covered by liquid. Cover and let it simmer for another 30-40 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are soft enough.
- Serve in bowls, perhaps with chunky bread.