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Beef Stew

Beef stew with fall-apart beef chunks and a deep mahogany broth, simmered until tender and thickened with lightly floured seared meat. Finished with potatoes and carrots, then peas for a bright pop of color.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck
Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
  • 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes
Carrots, cut into thick rounds
  • 3 carrots
Celery, sliced
  • 3 celery
Onion, diced
  • 1 onion
Garlic, minced
  • 4 garlic
Frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
Red wine
  • 1 cup red wine
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire
All-purpose flour
  • 1 4 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the beef
  1. Season beef by tossing it with all-purpose flour. Coat evenly so the surface turns dry and dusty before browning.
  2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the beef in batches until deeply browned, about 3-5 minutes total per batch. Remove browned beef and repeat until all pieces are seared.
Build the stew base
  1. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven and sauté for 5 minutes. Cook until the vegetables start to soften and the pot smells fragrant.
  2. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
  3. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 1-2 minutes so the wine reduces slightly.
Simmer until tender
  1. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, dried thyme, bay leaves, and the browned beef. Stir to combine and submerge the beef as much as possible.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 60-75 minutes until beef is very tender. Look for gentle bubbling that keeps a steady simmer under the lid.
Finish with potatoes and peas
  1. Add Yukon gold potatoes and cook for 20 minutes. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender and the broth thickens slightly.
  2. Add frozen peas and cook for 3 minutes. The peas should turn bright green and heat through.
  3. Remove bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust so the broth is balanced.

Notes

Pro tip: Sear in batches so the beef browns instead of steaming, which helps build that deep mahogany flavor. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days. Freezing is yes—cool completely, then freeze up to 3 months; reheat gently on the stove. For a dietary swap, use low-sodium beef broth and adjust salt to keep the stew flavorful without as much sodium.