Hearty Beef Stew



Hearty Beef Stew
Savory, warm, and oh so comforting
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 2 medium-large onions, chopped (2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup full-bodied red wine
- 2 cups homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick or 1/2 lb. baby carrots
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 5 red bliss potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
Instructions
- Place meat in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper; toss to coat.
- Heat 2 tbsp. oil over medium-high heat in a large non-reactive soup kettle; add meat to pan in two batches.
- Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding an additional 1 tbsp. oil if necessary.
- Transfer meat to a platter.
- Add bacon to pot and let it cook for 4 minutes, add onions to pot; sauté‚ until almost softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to sauté‚ for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to pan.
- Reduce the wine by half.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves; bring to simmer.
- Add meat and return to a simmer.
- Simmer until meat is just tender, 2 1/2-3 hours.
- The stew should be covered and barely any bubbling.
- At approximately 15 minutes before the stew is done, add carrots, celery and potatoes to simmering stew.
- Once vegetables are added turn off heat, cover and let stand to blend flavors, about 5 minutes (stew can be cooled at this point, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days).
- Note: This recipe can be made without the wine, substitute with additional chicken stock.
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