Give Me Your Best Beef Stew Recipe
My boyfriend and I try to get away together pretty often and when we do, there's always a ton of cooking going on. His two favorite meals on the face of the planet are fried chicken legs with mashed potatoes and beef stew with cornbread (he's so southern). I've got the fried chicken and potatoes down to an art form, but I need help trying out a new beef stew recipe.
In the past I've completely made up a recipe and I've done Tyler Florence's, which was a bit pricy for our budget as it included an entire bottle of red wine. Does anyone have a tried and true beef stew recipe they'd care to share; something hearty, big on the meat and potatoes, and cornbread-friendly? I'd be eternally grateful.
Thanks in advance!
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9 Comments:
This is what I make, a thick and hearty beef stew with lots of potatoes (that is my fave part of the stew!)
2 lbs good stewing meat, cut into small chunks.
2 med. onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 big carrots, peeled and sliced
4-6 potatoes (depending on size) cut in chunks
1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered (if desired)
1/4 c. flour
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dry thyme
1/2 tbsp dry rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
1 bottle Guinness Stout
4-6 cups beef broth
Brown the meat lightly in some oil, and remove to a plate to wait.
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spices, carrot, (mushrooms if using) and flour, and saute til thick and sticky. Pour in the Guinness and stir. Add the tomato paste and beef broth and stir again. Add potatoes. Bring to a simmer and cover. Allow to simmer on low for an hour. Check spices and adjust if necessary. Simmer AT LEAST another hour, covered. After the second hour, remove a few of the potato chunks and mash them up with a spoon, Add back to the pot for a thicker stew.
If it seems too acidic, I add a couple of pureed prunes (Thanks Guinness recipe website!) and if it needs some more flavor, a few splashes of red wine can be added, or some more Guinness, or a cup or so of hard cider.
I don't make beef stew any other way anymore, and it so far has been a hit with all who have eaten it. I add extra mushrooms to mine, and sometimes a green presence like peas or green beans, but not often.
sadiepix at 1:16AM on 05/07/09
Good grief. I am having all kinds of issues posting recipes here this week! So sorry, the post should say to add the meat back to the pot at the same time you add the potatoes. Would not be such a great beef stew without the beef!
Good luck! Hope you find one you and the BF love.
sadiepix at 1:20AM on 05/07/09
For tenderizing meat you can use some tomato paste as sadie said and beer/ale or red wine but not a pricey bottle. I recently used a 1/3 of a bottle of Menage a Trois which is under 10 bucks and you can drink some of it. Get a chuck roast or beef cubes and give it a good 3-4 hours to simmer.
Sadie's recipe is spot on. Pick and choose what you want in the stew. For good gravy I dredge the meat in the flour/salt/pepper and then brown it. Take it out. Give your veggies a good saute, take them out. Saute your tomato paste and then deglaze the whole thing with the wine/beef broth/water/ale/beer (you can use a mix of some of these I personally like broth and wine 1 cup of each) then toss all the veg and beef back in and season. Simmer if you run low on simmer liquid add some back (water is fine but keep adjusting your seasoning)
JerzeeTomato at 1:52AM on 05/07/09
When I make beef stew it's an unmeasured thing, and the veggies can vary depending on what I have on hand (much like soup...) but it always includes carrots, potatoes and onions. DH absolutely loves whole onions that have been braised in a stew. Not little onions, but regular white or yellow onions, peeled and left whole.
Other veg that could end up in a stew are celery, green beans, fennel, mushrooms, peppers, turnips. parsnips, celery root...depends on what I have and what I have a taste for.
One of my favorite meats for stewing is bison. To me, it seems like you get a meatier, richer flavor from bison than from beef in a stew.
dbcurrie at 2:21AM on 05/07/09
i agree with the tomato paste, i think it adds a richness to the stew.... i also brown my veggies in chopped up rendered good bacon.... i think it also adds a nice dimension to the flavor....
and i add some chopped parsley when it's almost done.... it sparks up the ending to me....
pooch at 12:42PM on 05/07/09
Here's mine :-)
http://www.examiner.com/x-4215-Orlando-Cooking-Examiner~y2009m3d16-IrishAmerican-stew-with-thyme-and-ale
-Dawn
WickedGoodDinner at 1:59PM on 05/07/09
Belinda’s Stew
1 1/2 # Stewing Beef
Olive Oil
1/2 Btl Red Wine (or more!)
1 Tetra Pak Beef Stock (or less!) – ADD LITTLE AT A TIME AS NEEDED.
2 tbsp W Sauce
3 –4 Carrots roughly chopped
2 celery roughly choped
1 cup Frozen Peas
3 or more Red or White Potatoes roughly chopped
1 bulb Garlic chopped (to taste)
2 Onions (or bag FRESH pearl onions, whole & skinned)
3 Red Chili Peppers (or dried) to taste
1-2 Lemon juiced (Add one and if needed add 2nd one later)
3 or more Ripe Tomatoes (or 1/2-1 large can peeled plum tomatoes with juice)
1 can Tomato Paste
Handful Chopped FRESH Rosemary
Handful Chopped FRESH Thyme
Handful Chopped FRESH Oregeno or Marjoram
3 Bay leafs
1 can Cannelli Beans (or white kidney beans)
Salt & Pepper – LOTS of pepper LOTS & LOTS
Squeeze in fresh lemon before serving
Season trimmed stewing beef (leave some fat for flavour) with salt & peper.
Brown in olive oil in a hot pan (or pot). Do not over crowd pan as beef with not brown correctly and will not leave the little “bits” stuck to the bottom of the pan for de-glazing.
Once all beef is browned take out of pan & add your red wine scraping bottom to get all the bits off.
Add Beef & All ingredients except Cannelli Beans and simmer until meat is tender and veggies are cooked. Add Cannelli beans 1/2hr before serving.
Taste & add whatever is missing.
mrstkach at 2:26PM on 05/07/09
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb. rump roast
4-5 Tbs. oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 48 oz. can beef broth
1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
3 celery stalks, chopped into pieces
3 crushed garlic cloves
8 10 oz. Portobello mushrooms, diced
1 10 oz. package frozen peas
10 oz. baby carrots, leave whole
4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
Slice roast into 1-inch thick slices. Lay those flat and cut lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Cut each strip into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Toss meat well with Kitchen Bouquet.
Add oil to large, hot stock pot. Carefully add meat cubes in a single layer. If necessary, brown in batches, removing one batch before adding another. Cook on high until fluids begin to evaporate and meat browns, stirring occasionally. When all batches of meat are browned, return all to pot.
Stir chopped onions and garlic into meat until onions are browned and translucent. Add beef broth. Bring to boil, then lower heat, allowing stew to simmer, covered for 2-3 hours. Meat should come apart easily when done. When meat is close to being as tender as you like, add celery, carrots and potatoes. Test both potatoes and carrots for doneness. Gently stir in peas. If liquid needs thickening, add well-dissolved flour and water and heat fairly high to desired consistency.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 11:55PM on 05/07/09
I think the true test of a good beef stew is not just what's in the stew, but what you do with it. Here's my best recipe. If I wasn't married, my husband would propose over it.
For two
Into the crock pot goes:
1/2 lb beef for stew (cubed beef)
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 lb baby carrots
1 heaping tsp Better Than Bouillon beef base
Twice around the pot with soy sauce
2 T Soy Vey teriyaki sauce
A couple of glugs of worcestershire sauce
Water to almost cover
Let that cook on low all day (8 hours or so).
When you get home:
Add a slurry of 1 T cornstarch/1 T cold water to crock pot to thicken.
Make mashed potatoes (I use flakes. Don't judge me.). Add garlic salt for a little kick.
Nuke 1 cup french fried onions for one minute.
Pour shredded colby jack cheese into a bowl.
To assemble, in individual bowls or plates:
1.) a layer of mashed potatoes
2.) a layer of shredded cheese
3.) a layer of beef stew with onions and carrots
4.) a generous sprinkling of french fried onions
You're welcome. :)
orangemiles at 7:59AM on 05/08/09