Classic Stovetop Beef Stew
A classic stovetop beef stew, with meltingly tender chunks of beef and flavorful vegetables, in a rich red wine sauce. This hearty stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort meal, and is a tried and true recipe that everyone will love!
Beef stew is one of my favorite comfort foods to make as soon as the weather gets cold here in Maine. I make this at least once a month throughout the winter, and it never gets old. Same goes for my pasta fagioli recipe *chef’s kiss*.
The key to a really good beef stew is tender meat, and stew sauce that is thick and incredibly rich in beef flavor. This is where the red wine comes in, it helps to deepen the flavor of the broth, making it a staple ingredient!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Beef stew in the dutch oven
There are a few different methods to make beef stew, you can braise the beef in the oven, or some people skip this and toss everything in the crockpot. Braising is key to getting the tender beef that falls apart.
This stove top dutch oven method is the perfect in between. A dutch oven retains heat very well, so it’s ideal for browning the meat first and then braising with broth to create flavor development.
What is braising?
Braising is the method of cooking the beef, you are essentially cooking it low and slow. Low temperature for an extended period of time. This method is cooking in liquid, to maintain moisture and transform tougher cuts of beef into fall-apart tender pieces.
Best meat for beef stew
You want to go with a chuck roast cut, with lots of fat marbling throughout. The fat marbling is what makes the beef incredibly tender once its braised. If the beef has less marbling, it will yield a more tough and chewy bite.
How to thicken beef stew
There are a couple different ways to thicken stew. The key thickening agents are flour and cornstarch, neither of which can be added directly into the stew or they will clump.
You can make a cornstarch slurry, by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water, and then stirring into the stew. This is not my preferred way to thicken this stew, as it doesn’t provide any flavor.
For this recipe, we create a beurre manié, similar to a roux, which is equal parts soft butter mashed with flour to create a smooth paste, and then slowly stirred into the stew. This method is more rich and adds flavor.
How to make stovetop beef stew
The bulk of the work is at the beginning, and then its pretty much a hands off recipe!
crisp the bacon
First things first, we crisp up the chopped bacon until the fat has rendered. We will use this fat to brown the beef, and save the bacon to toss back in at the end.
brown the beef
Dredge the beef in flour and seasonings, then brown in batches in the hot bacon fat. Set the beef aside while we sauté the vegetables.
add the vegetables
Sauté for a few minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to sweat.
simmer
Next we deglaze the pot with wine. After reducing the wine, we will return the beef to the pot, add the sauce ingredients and the broth, then simmer away until the beef is fall-apart tender.
thicken
Lastly, we thicken the stew with the butter and flour, and return the bacon to the pot.
What to serve with beef stew?
BISCUITS, BISCUITS, and/or BISCUITS. Here’s a recipe that I made last time I had this beef stew, and they were delicious!
Classic Stovetop Beef Stew
Ingredients
Method
- Combine 2 tablespoons of flour, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Toss beef cubes in flour mixture to evenly coat each piece of beef.
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and cook bacon until crispy and fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from the pot and set aside. There should be a couple tablespoons worth of bacon fat left in the pot for browning the beef. If not, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
- In batches as to not overcrowd the pot, brown the seasoned beef in the bacon fat, this should take 2-3 mins per batch. Transfer beef to a bowl to rest.
- Add celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 3-4 minutes so that the mushrooms sweat. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute.
- Deglaze pot with the wine, stirring and scraping up any brown bits stuck on the bottom. Let the wine simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer beef back to the pot (along with any juices that have settled in the bowl) and stir in the tomato paste to coat the beef and veggies.
- Add the potatoes, beef broth, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, beef bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of flour until you have a smooth paste. If it is crumbly, add more butter until it is smooth like a paste.
- Stir the butter paste into the stew until it melts into the sauce, stirring constantly until mixture returns to a simmer and stew is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Return bacon back to the pot and top with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
