Favorite Beef Stew
This recipe was a success. Full pot ceramic cooker was eaten in 2 servings with just the two of us. Adopted from several I read
This recipe was a success. Full pot ceramic cooker was eaten in 2 servings with just the two of us. Adopted from several I read
- Carbohydrate 23.0574450802732 g
- Cholesterol 94.2857142857143 mg
- Fat 26.6169021164686 g
- Fiber 2.13300558548694 g
- Protein 38.7428571127793 g
- Saturated Fat 10.8282290559643 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1090g)
- Sodium 2803.86482382148 mg
- Sugar 20.9244394947862 g
- Trans Fat 3.30941571428572 g
- Calories 521 calories
Step-by-step
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees if using roaster method.
- Add flour to a plastic bag and add garlic and thyme.
- Combine ingredients.
- Add stew meat chunks and mix well.
- In a heated skillet over medium to high heat, heat a small amount of olive oil.
- Once hot, add chunks of meat in frying pan, shaking each piece to remove the surplus flour, but do not pack in pan.
- Sear the meat on all sides.
- Remove to a warm plate and set aside.
- Sear all the meat in batches, adding olive oil as needed.
- Reduce heat to medium and add one cup red wine.
- Scrape bottom of frypan to loosen any brown bits.
- Bring to a boil and let it simmer until it reduces a bit (you will see it thicken slightly).
- Bring heat back up to medium and add 2 cups beef broth.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add mushrooms and cover fry pan.
- Turn heat to medium low and let the mushroom mixture simmer for 3/4 hour.
- In the meantime, add peeled and chopped vegetables, onion, and meat to a roaster or slow cooker, depending on which you will be using.
- If placing in slow cooker, add vegetables and onions underneath the meat.
- If using cooker (oven) add ingredients and 1 cup of beef broth and cover.
- Place in preheated oven and set timer for 1 hour.
- Slow cooker method - do not turn on yet.
- One mushroom mixture has simmered for about 45 minutes, add hot liquid to roaster in oven, cover and roast for 2 hours.
- If using slow cooker, add liquid mixture, cover and set to cook on low for 9 hours, high 6 hours.
- Once the stew is cooked, you can thicken sauce by removing some of the vegetable, meat mixture from roaster or cooker and adding corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water and bringing mixture to a soft boil for a couple of minutes.
Adding the mushroom braising liquid to the roaster at precisely the forty-five-minute mark dictates whether the root vegetables soften properly without turning to mush. Timing controls the texture of hearty root vegetables like carrots and turnips alongside cuts of chuck beef. Managing this sequence keeps the dish coherent.
Mastering the Fundamentals
Dredging meat in seasoned flour creates a protective barrier that thickens the braising liquid later. Shake off excess flour before searing the beef chunks in batches over medium-high heat. Overcrowding the skillet traps moisture and causes the meat to steam rather than brown. Deglazing the pan with one cup of dry red wine dissolves the fond stuck to the bottom, building foundational depth. Simmering the mushroom mixture separately concentrates umami compounds before they join the main pot.
- Crowding the skillet prevents proper crust formation on the beef.
- Skipping the reduction step leaves the wine tasting sharp and thin.
- Adding dense root vegetables too late results in a crunchy center.
