Description
Hearty Dutch oven beef stew brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen, blending tender meat with rich, savory vegetables. Rustic flavors and slow-cooked goodness invite you to savor every spoonful of this classic, soul-warming meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.5 pounds (1.13 kilograms) beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into chunks
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) beef broth (low sodium)
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Additional Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) red wine (optional)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly dry meat cubes, coating them with seasoned flour mixture to enhance flavor and create a golden crust.
- Warm olive oil in heavy Dutch oven until shimmering, then methodically brown meat pieces in multiple batches to develop rich caramelization.
- Without cleaning pot, sauté aromatic vegetables – onions, carrots, and celery – until they become translucent and tender, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Introduce minced garlic and robust tomato paste, stirring constantly to prevent burning and release deep, concentrated flavors.
- Deglaze cooking surface with robust red wine, scraping accumulated browned bits to incorporate complex layered tastes into the stew’s foundation.
- Reunite browned meat with vegetable mixture, adding hearty potatoes, savory beef broth, fragrant thyme sprigs, and traditional bay leaf.
- Elevate temperature until liquid reaches active bubbling, then immediately reduce heat to gentle simmer, covering pot to trap moisture and tenderize meat.
- Allow stew to slowly cook for 2-2.5 hours at low temperature, periodically checking liquid consistency and meat tenderness.
- During final cooking phase, remove lid to naturally reduce and thicken sauce, concentrating flavors and creating luxurious texture.
- Remove woody herb stems and bay leaf, taste for seasoning balance, and permit stew to rest briefly before serving to allow flavors to harmonize.
Notes
- Drying the beef thoroughly before seasoning ensures a perfect golden-brown crust that locks in rich, deep flavors during browning.
- Use chuck roast or stew meat with good marbling for tender, melt-in-your-mouth results that become incredibly soft after slow cooking.
- Customize the stew by swapping red wine with beef broth or adding additional vegetables like parsnips or mushrooms for extra nutrition and complexity.
- Make this dish gluten-free by substituting regular flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free flour blend when dredging the meat, maintaining the same delicious texture and thickness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg