Description
Hearty beef stew from French countryside kitchens delivers rich, comforting flavors in one delightful pot. Tender meat, root vegetables, and red wine create a classic meal that warms souls and satisfies hunger with each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (900 g) beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups (1 L) beef broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) red wine (or additional beef broth)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas (optional)
- 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsps water (optional, for thickening)
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preparation: Dredge beef cubes in a seasoned flour mixture of salt, black pepper, and paprika, ensuring complete and even coating.
- Searing: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, then methodically brown beef cubes in batches, creating a golden caramelized exterior for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Aromatics: In the same pot, sauté onions and garlic until translucent, releasing their fragrant essence and capturing the residual meat flavors.
- Deglazing: Pour red wine or beef broth into the pot, scraping up the concentrated browned bits from the bottom to enhance the stew’s depth and complexity.
- Assembling: Reintroduce seared beef to the pot, then incorporate carrots, potatoes, celery, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves, creating a robust flavor foundation.
- Simmering: Pour additional beef broth to almost cover the ingredients, then reduce heat and allow the stew to gently simmer, covered, for approximately 1.5-2 hours until meat becomes incredibly tender.
- Finishing: Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then let the stew rest for 10-15 minutes to allow sauce to thicken and flavors to harmonize before serving.
Notes
- Sear with Precision: Brown beef in batches to develop a deep, caramelized crust without steaming the meat, which ensures maximum flavor development and tender texture.
- Wine Selection Matters: Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to enhance the stew’s depth, avoiding sweet varieties that can disrupt the savory balance.
- Low and Slow Cooking: Maintain a gentle simmer instead of a rolling boil to keep meat tender, preventing tough and stringy protein fibers from forming during the cooking process.
- Vegetable Size Consistency: Cut vegetables into uniform chunks to ensure even cooking, preventing some pieces from becoming mushy while others remain undercooked.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Searing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg