Packed with flavorful chunks of beef and vegetables, this beef stew is super hearty and delicious. The chopped bacon also adds an extra 'oomph'. Slow roasting allows all of the flavors to marinate and makes the beef so tender it melts in your mouth!
Beef stew is comfort food at its finest and one of my favorite dinners. The beef becomes extremely tender from slow roasting in the broth at a low temperature. It's a perfect make-ahead dinner and also makes great leftovers. The wine adds richness and depth of flavor. It is probably one of the most crucial ingredients, and trust me that you will notice the difference that it makes!
Beef Stew Ingredients:
The Vegetables:
No vegetable is off-limits, but the beef stew classics are onions, potatoes, mushrooms, and peas. Chopping the vegetables coarsely makes their flavor really stand out and makes the stew extra thick and chunky. I like to use frozen peas and add them in at the end since they cook quickly.
The Meats:
Tough cuts of beef are best because the meat becomes super tender when roasted low and slow. You can either buy packaged beef that is labeled as beef for stew meat or you can buy beef chuck steak cut it into 1" pieces. Beef that is labeled for stew meat at the grocery store is generally chuck or round. These are chosen because they are tough cuts of meat that become extremely tender during slow roasting, hence making them perfect for stew! Coating the beef with flour helps to make the exterior crispy and also thickens the soup. Bacon is used for extra flavor. Plus the rendered fat is perfect for searing the beef in.
How to Make Beef Stew:
1. Unless using Cut beef chuck steak into 1" pieces. Add flour, salt, and pepper to a large bag and toss with the beef to coat. In a large oven-safe pot, sear the bacon until brown and crispy and set aside. Sear the beef in the rendered bacon grease until crispy on all sides. Searing the beef before adding it to the stew makes a tremendous difference. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
2: Pour the wine into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze it. Add the sliced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are soft. About 10-15 minutes.
3: While the mushrooms cook, heat some olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan. Add peeled and chopped carrots along with coarsely chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and sauté an additional minute.
4: Add the vegetables and beef back to the pot with the mushrooms. Pour in the beef broth, add peeled and quartered potatoes and 1 bay leaf. Make sure the potatoes are fully submerged in the broth.
5: Cover the pot and roast in the oven at 325° for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in frozen peas.
Be sure to take a pretty picture of your creation to share with me, I want to see!
📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 lb. beef stew meat or beef chuck cut into 1" pieces
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup mushrooms, washed and sliced thick
- ½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thick
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1½ cups potato, any small potato such as Yukon Gold or Rose Gold. Peeled(optional) and quartered.
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°
- Add the flour, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper to a large bag. Add the beef and toss to coat.
- Spray a large oven-safe pot with non-stick spray, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the beef in the rendered bacon fat until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Add the wine to the pot and scrape the bottom to deglaze it. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the mushrooms cook, heat the oil in a separate pan. Add the carrots and onions, season with ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add the veggies, beef, and sliced bacon to the pot with the mushrooms and wine. Pour in the broth and add the potatoes and bay leaf. Make sure the potatoes are fully covered with the broth.
- Cover and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the frozen peas.
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