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Beef Stew

Beef stew with deeply browned seared beef, a rich mahogany broth, and tender potatoes and carrots simmered until fall-apart. Finished with peas and fresh thyme for a classic American comfort-bowl texture.
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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 stew base
  • 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 end.
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour For seasoning the beef and thickening the stew.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste Season to taste at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and sear the beef
  1. Season the beef by tossing the beef chuck cubes with the all-purpose flour until coated. Keep it dry and even so it browns instead of steams.
  2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat, then sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. Aim for 3-5 minutes per batch with a dark mahogany crust, then remove to a plate.
Build the vegetable base
  1. In the same Dutch oven, sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Scrape up any browned bits as you stir.
  2. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Cook just until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.
Simmer the stew
  1. Deglaze with red wine, stirring and scraping the pot so the flavorful fond loosens. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine is reduced slightly.
  2. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, dried thyme, bay leaves, and the browned beef. Bring everything together until evenly combined.
  3. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 60-75 minutes until the beef is very tender. You should see a steady simmer with gentle bubbling around the edges.
Finish with potatoes and peas
  1. Add the cubed Yukon gold potatoes and simmer for 20 more minutes. Keep the lid on partially so the stew thickens without boiling hard.
  2. Add frozen peas and cook for 3 minutes. They should turn bright green and heat through.
  3. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it stand 5 minutes so the broth thickens slightly before serving.

Notes

For the best texture, sear the beef in batches so the pan stays hot and the cubes brown deeply. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (best without reheating peas until just warmed). For a lower-carb swap, replace half the potatoes with chopped rutabaga or turnips while keeping the same simmer time for tenderness.