A hearty, savory beef stew made in a slow cooker.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 potatoes, diced
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- Carbohydrate 29.9161713885948 g
- Cholesterol 99.792 mg
- Fat 27.4292775 g
- Fiber 4.64900005898873 g
- Protein 37.2767333333333 g
- Saturated Fat 11.0685675 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (812g)
- Sodium 1769.17605554075 mg
- Sugar 25.2671713296061 g
- Trans Fat 3.44922833333334 g
- Calories 519 calories
Step-by-step
- Place meat in slow cooker.
- In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture.
- Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours
All-purpose flour performs dual duty in this pot, acting simultaneously as a surface binder and a thickening agent for the surrounding liquid. Tossing the cubed beef directly in the dry flour, salt, and pepper mixture creates a starchy coating that adheres to the meat proteins. As moisture releases during the long heating cycle, this starch gelatinizes into the broth, giving the resulting sauce body without requiring a separate roux step on the stovetop. Stews of this style evolved from traditional European pot-au-feu traditions, transforming tough cuts of muscle into palatable meals through prolonged immersion. Managing equipment requires attention to thermal capacity, as overloading a slow cooker with too many dense root vegetables prevents proper heat circulation. Ensure the slow cooker insert is filled no more than two-thirds full to allow liquids to bubble gently at the edges. Cooking this dish on the Low setting for 10 to 12 hours yields superior tenderness compared to the High setting, because collagen requires extended exposure to sustained heat between 180 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit to fully dissolve into gelatin. Tough connective tissue breaks down completely within this temperature window, yielding succulent bites of beef rather than dry, stringy pieces. Stirring the contents halfway through cooking is unnecessary and drops the internal temperature significantly, so keep the lid closed for the duration of the cycle. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, leftovers remain safe to consume for up to four days.
