Beef Stew

A classic beef stew with tender beef in a rich sauce, perfect for make-ahead meals.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 40

Total Time 2 45

Course Mains

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 605 kcal

Equipment

large casserole pot
knife
cutting board
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

1.2 kg chuck beef, cut into 3.5 cm cubes (Note 1)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1 cm slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
0.33 cup flour
3 cups beef broth/stock, salt reduced
2 cups red wine, bold and dry (Note 2)
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves fresh or dried
4 sprigs thyme
400 g baby potatoes, halved
More salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoon oil in a large casserole pot over high heat until just starting to smoke.
Add ⅓ of the beef and brown aggressively all over - about 4 minutes. Remove to bowl, repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if required.
Turn down heat to medium high. Add 1 tablespoon oil if required. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until onion is softened slightly and golden on the edge.
Add carrot and celery, stir for 1 minute to coat in flavours.
Sprinkle flour evenly across surface, then stir to coat.
Add broth, red wine, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to dissolve tomato paste and flour into liquid.
Add cooked beef (including any juices), thyme, bay leaves and potatoes. Stir. Water level should almost fully cover everything, if not, add a touch of water.
Bring to simmer, then adjust heat to low/medium low so it's simmering gently.
Cover and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes or until beef is pretty tender (check with 2 forks at 1.5 hrs).
Remove lid and simmer for further 30 minutes or until sauce reduces slightly. It should be like a thin gravy and beef should now be very tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve over creamy mashed potato with a sprig of fresh thyme for decoration or a sprinkle of parsley.

Notes

Beef chuck is recommended for texture and fat content. For wine, use a good value full-bodied red. Vegetarian option: substitute wine with more beef stock and add brown sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 522gCalories: 605kcal

Keyword beef stew, comfort food, dinner, Hearty, Make-ahead, Slow-Cooked