Beef Stew with Red Wine
I always make this in the slow cooker; it's a great winter dish to warm up with at the end of the day. Serve with biscuits or hearty bread.
I always make this in the slow cooker; it's a great winter dish to warm up with at the end of the day. Serve with biscuits or hearty bread.
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup dry red wine
- salt ~~amp pepper
- 3 pounds beef chuck trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1
- 1 pound medium onions (about 2) cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 pound potatoes small white or red new potatoes (about 6 halved
- 1 pound carrots cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 can beef broth (12 oz)
- Carbohydrate 5.35293229434843 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0765236458414578 g
- Fiber 0.520042698304121 g
- Protein 0.720267812642111 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0156344791679565 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (441g)
- Sodium 113.610979180086 mg
- Sugar 4.83288959604431 g
- Trans Fat 0.0235825000026803 g
- Calories 46 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350?. In a Dutch oven (5-quart) with a tight-fitting lid, combine beef, tomato paste, vinegar, and flour; season with salt and pepper.
- Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and red wine & beef broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and, if desired, season with salt and pepper before serving.
Controlling the Cut and Cost
Beef chuck requires careful handling to yield tender results without demanding expensive tenderloins. Trimming visible surface fat prevents the rendering grease from overwhelming the braising liquid while retaining internal intramuscular fat that melts during long cooking. Cutting meat into uniform 1.5-inch cubes ensures heat penetration matches the surrounding root vegetables.
Acid and Thickening Dynamics
Tomato paste combined with three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar supplies acidity that cuts through the richness of the beef broth and wine mixture. Whisking all-purpose flour directly with the paste and vinegar before adding liquids creates a stable suspension, preventing clumping. Dry red wine introduces tannins that break down tough connective tissues over hours of steady heat.
Adapting Batch Volume
Thermal mass changes when scaling quantities up or down in a five-quart Dutch oven or slow cooker. Doubling root vegetables requires extending the braising window by roughly thirty minutes to ensure center density softens properly. Leftovers store safely in airtight containers for up to four days, improving in depth as starches fully integrate.
