A good beef stew is hearty and colorful, with tender meat and a comforting, tasty gravy…and this Hearty Beef Stew recipe delivers! Using red wine and red wine vinegar add extra depth to the flavor, but you could substitute with using an equal amount of beef broth if you don’t want to use wine or vinegar…but the flavor will be different.
An important part of cooking the stewing beef (so it's perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender) is the browning process, where the meat is just allowed to turn from pink to brown and it isn’t cooked completely through. The cooking process is completed when the meat is added back into the pot with the broth and is slowly braised for a long period of time. Sure, this takes some time, but it’s worth it!
There are several different ways to thicken the gravy in a stew. Some recipes call for the stewing beef to be coated in flour before it is browned, and that flour serves as somewhat of a thickening agent. Also, using cornstarch with cold water and slowly stirring the sludgy mixture into the nearly ready-to-eat stew will also thicken the gravy. With stew, however, my preferred method to thicken the gravy is by adding plain old instant mashed potato flakes! Since there are already potatoes in the stew, a little extra potato flavor works great…and you don’t have to worry about the sometimes chalky taste that the cornstarch can introduce. When using instant mashed potato flakes, I just add it in, bit by bit, stirring it in and then continuing to add little by little until the gravy is the consistency that I want.
This stew is great served with fresh baked biscuits! Enjoy!
An important part of cooking the stewing beef (so it's perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender) is the browning process, where the meat is just allowed to turn from pink to brown and it isn’t cooked completely through. The cooking process is completed when the meat is added back into the pot with the broth and is slowly braised for a long period of time. Sure, this takes some time, but it’s worth it!
There are several different ways to thicken the gravy in a stew. Some recipes call for the stewing beef to be coated in flour before it is browned, and that flour serves as somewhat of a thickening agent. Also, using cornstarch with cold water and slowly stirring the sludgy mixture into the nearly ready-to-eat stew will also thicken the gravy. With stew, however, my preferred method to thicken the gravy is by adding plain old instant mashed potato flakes! Since there are already potatoes in the stew, a little extra potato flavor works great…and you don’t have to worry about the sometimes chalky taste that the cornstarch can introduce. When using instant mashed potato flakes, I just add it in, bit by bit, stirring it in and then continuing to add little by little until the gravy is the consistency that I want.
This stew is great served with fresh baked biscuits! Enjoy!
Hearty Beef Stew
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Pinch dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Instant mashed potato flakes
Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides; add more oil as needed between batches.
Remove the remaining beef from the pot and then add the vinegar, wine, onions, and garlic to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Add herbs (thyme through basil) and salt & pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until beef is tender (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally.
Add carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Then add the cubed potatoes and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes (or until vegetables are tender), continuing to stir occasionally. To thicken the stew, add instant mashed potato flakes a bit at a time, until desired thickness/consistency is obtained. Remove bay leaves, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Pinch dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Instant mashed potato flakes
Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides; add more oil as needed between batches.
Remove the remaining beef from the pot and then add the vinegar, wine, onions, and garlic to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Add herbs (thyme through basil) and salt & pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook until beef is tender (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally.
Add carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Then add the cubed potatoes and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes (or until vegetables are tender), continuing to stir occasionally. To thicken the stew, add instant mashed potato flakes a bit at a time, until desired thickness/consistency is obtained. Remove bay leaves, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.