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This classic beef stew is the best dinner for a cold weekend. Beef, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, peas, and mushrooms come together in harmony, creating a comfy, comforting meal.

Best Beef Stew

Because the weather cools I crave comfort food meals like a bowl of this traditional beef stew. It boasts tender chunks of prime chuck roast simmered with hearty Yukon gold potatoes, vibrant carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a richly flavored gravy. Adding peas at the top provides a burst of color and a touch of sweetness to this classic, comforting dish. More beef stew recipes you might also love are this Beef Stew with Pumpkin, Mexican Beef Stew, and my Colombian beef stew, Carne Guisada.

Beef Stew Ingredients

• Broth: You’ll need three cups of low-sodium beef broth.
• Flour: Use all-purpose or gluten-free flour to thicken the stew. A cornstarch slurry would also work, but I prefer flour.
• Tomato Paste adds a wealthy flavor.
• Salt and Pepper to season the stew
• Beef Stew Meat: I prefer prime beef, which is higher quality than selection or select beef. Start with a three-pound boneless beef chuck roast. When you trim the fat and cut it into one-inch cubes, you must have about two and a half kilos.
• Potatoes: Peel and dice Yukon gold potatoes into one-inch pieces. Russet potatoes or red potatoes would also work.
• Carrots: Slice three to 4 medium carrots into half-inch thick diagonal pieces.
• Celery: Chop three celery ribs.
• Onion: Cut one medium onion into half-inch pieces.
• Mushrooms: Clean and quarter 4 ounces of white button mushrooms.
• Herbs: Use three sprigs of fresh thyme and two bay leaves.
• Peas: Add a half cup of frozen peas at the top.

Methods to Make Beef Stew

1. Broth: Mix the broth, flour, tomato paste, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
2. Brown the Beef: Heat a big Dutch oven on the stove-top over high heat, spray with oil, and brown the meat on all sides in two batches. Remove the meat from the pot and put aside.
3. Vegetables: Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook for five minutes. Return the meat to the pot with any juices. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves, and broth.
4. Cook Stew: Cover the pot and bake for 2 and a half hours at 375°F. (After two hours, check that there’s enough liquid.) Once the meat and veggies are fork-tender, remove the Dutch oven from the oven, discard the herbs, and stir within the peas. Taste the stew and add more salt if needed.

What’s the secret to good stew?

• Quality of Beef: Selecting the best cut of beef is paramount. For beef stew, using a cut like a chief chuck roast, which has an excellent balance of meat and connective tissue, can lead to tender chunks of beef when cooked slowly.
• Browning: Searing or browning the meat before stewing develops a wealthy depth of flavor resulting from the Maillard response. It also gives the stew an excellent color.
• Layering Flavors: Constructing flavors by browning the onions, garlic, and vegetables before adding liquids is crucial. Herbs, each dried and fresh, also add complexity to the stew’s flavor.

What to Serve with Beef Stew

Beef stew with potatoes is a filling meal by itself. If you ought to serve it with something, listed here are a number of ideas:

• Crusty bread to absorb the thick broth
• An easy salad, like this one with romaine
• A green veggie, like Brussels sprouts or roasted broccoli

Methods to make essentially the most tender stew?

Making essentially the most tender stew involves several techniques and considerations, each within the selection of ingredients and within the cooking process:

1. Select the Right Cut of Meat: Go for cuts of meat with a mixture of muscle and connective tissue, like chuck roast or beef shank. These cuts break down over prolonged cooking, making the meat tender and adding richness to the broth.
2. Browning Is Essential: Before stewing, brown the meat chunks on all sides in a hot pan. Browning builds flavor and helps seal within the meat’s juices.
3. Low and Slow Cooking: Slowly simmering the stew at a low temperature allows the collagen within the meat to interrupt down slowly without drying it out. Prolonged cooking at a mild simmer makes the meat soft and tender.
4. Use Enough Liquid: You wish the broth or cooking liquid to mostly cover the meat to make sure even cooking and forestall the meat from drying out.

Storage and Freezer

This easy beef stew is ideal for meal prep because it makes a lot. Leftovers will keep for as much as 4 days. It’s also freezes splendidly. Store it in an airtight container and freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw it within the refrigerator overnight and warm on the stove or microwave.

More Stew Recipes You’ll Love

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Yield: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups (scant)

• Preheat oven to 375F.

• Mix broth, flour, tomato paste, 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a blender and mix until smooth.

• Heat a big Dutch oven over high heat, spray with oil and brown the meat on all sides in two batches. Set beef aside, then spray the pot again. Add the carrots, celery and onions and brown, stirring about 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pot with any juices.

• Add the potatoes, mushrooms, thyme and bay leaves and pour the broth on top. Cover and bake 2 1/2 hours, (check  to ensure it has enough liquid after 2 hours) until the meat and vegetables are tender.

• Remove from oven,  discard the thyme and bay leaves, stir within the peas and allow them to sit 1 minute until heated through. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

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Serving: 1 1/2 cups (scant), Calories: 439 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20.5 g, Protein: 40.5 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 9.5 g, Cholesterol: 130.5 mg, Sodium: 482.5 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 7.5 g