Beef Stew
There are millions of best stew recipes and approaches, depending on the country, region or family. Since ancient times, meat has been slow cooked in liquid. This is one of our favorite family recipes for a snowy day. Serve with Elsie’s Potatoes and a Full-Bodied Red.
Beef Stew
In some recipes, the beef is dusted with flour/cornstarch before searing. We prefer this method so the meat cooks slowly in the stock and is thickened at the end.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. (908 gr) beef stew meat
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- ½ cup (60 gr) onion, chopped
- 1 cup (133 gr) carrot, chopped
- 1 cup (110 gr) celery, chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary 1 tsp dry
- 1 TBSP fresh parsley 1 tsp dry
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 TBSP (16 gr) cornstarch
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 325.
- Heat olive oil in Dutch Oven. Add half of the beef, and sprinkle with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Without crowding sear until brown on 2 sides, approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove with slotted spoon and add remaining beef, remaining salt and pepper along with garlic, and onion. Sear for another 5 minutes.
- Add all of the beef back into the Dutch Oven. Next, add celery, carrots, red wine, beef stock and tomato paste. Heat over medium heat and meanwhile add bay leaves, rosemary and parsley.
- Place in oven, covered, and cook for 2.5 hours.
- Remove about ¼ cup of the beef stock to a small bowl and let cool until warm (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, return the stew to the oven. Add cornstarch to the warm stock and stir to incorporate.
- Add cornstarch mixture to Dutch Oven and stir. Let cook for 20 minutes more to thicken and remove from oven.
- Sprinkle with more parsley if desired and serve.
Notes
Flavourful stews and Full-Bodied Reds go hand in hand. Cabernet Sauvignon, the most popular Full-Bodied Red in the World is an obvious choice, but so is a Merlot or Bordeaux if you want something a little smoother.
We go for the red over white wine with stew but will try a taste test with the next pot!
We’ve served this stew with:
• Ardal Reserva Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
• Columbia Winery Merlot • Sirius Bordeaux
• Columbia Winery Merlot • Sirius Bordeaux