Description
A classic pot of beef stew with fork-tender meat, plenty of carrots and potatoes, and a rich red wine gravy.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (see notes for a gluten-free version)
- 5 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 to 2 yellow onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 1/4 pounds carrots, divided: about a quarter sliced into thin rounds (about 1 cup), the rest cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 3 cups (1 bottle) dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, divided
- 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes with some of their juices (from a 28-ounce can), chopped or crushed by hand
- 3 large cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 pounds potatoes (russets or golds), peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Flour the beef: Put the beef in a large bowl and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flour over it and toss well to coat.
- Brown the beef: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, over medium-high heat. When hot, add a quarter of the beef and sear, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef in three more batches, adding a tablespoon of oil at a time as needed. Tilt the pot and spoon out most of the fat.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Heat for a minute, then add the onions and sliced carrots. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Deglaze: Pour in 1 cup of the wine and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits.
- Simmer: Return the beef to the pot with any accumulated juices. Add the remaining 2 cups wine, 3 cups of the broth, the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours.
- Add the carrots and potatoes: Add the carrot chunks and potatoes, pushing them down into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender. If the stew is thicker than you like, stir in some of the remaining broth.
- Serve: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Notes
1. Best beef for beef stew: I recommend beef chuck, a relatively inexpensive cut that becomes tender when it’s simmered for a long time. You can buy stew meat already cubed, but if you have time, buy a whole chuck roast and cut it yourself, so you can trim the fat and gristle and get the size pieces you want.
2. Flour for beef stew: Flouring the beef helps create a flavorful browned crust when it's seared and thickens the broth into a rich gravy as the stew simmers.
3. Best red wine for beef stew: Use a dry red you’d enjoy drinking, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel.
4. Broth for beef stew: I use store-bought chicken broth rather than beef broth, which I find has an artificial flavor. My favorite brands are Swanson’s Organic and Pacific Organic. If you have homemade beef broth, that works well too.
5. To make this beef stew gluten-free: Skip the flour when browning the beef. The beef will still develop a beautiful brown crust. At the end of cooking, if you'd like a thicker gravy, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. Stir it into the simmering stew and cook briefly until thickened. Repeat if needed.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min
- Category: Stew
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: American