Beef stew is the best dish to relish during those cold wintery months, and everyone right from the kids to adults find it irresistible. A nice beef stew also includes all sorts of root vegetables like potato, turnip, radish, carrots, etc. It is really a sumptuous and filling meal. The most wonderful thing about stew is that it is a quick and easy recipe and can be made at home. The best way to serve this stew is by using long-handled big spoon with a bowl attached to its end. It goes well with some freshly baked bread and a glass of red wine. So, what are you waiting for? Follow the below mentioned instructions and tips and prepare a delectable dish for your family and friends.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 2 hours
Resources Required:
- 3 lbs roasted boneless beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/4 th cup flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 carrots, potatoes, celery (optional) peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Instructions:
1. Prepare the beef
- Put a large and deep heavy bottomed vessel which has a tight lid on stove and add some vegetable oil to it and heat.
- Add the cut portions of beef to this and brown it well on a medium heat. The beef pieces should be browned well. Add salt and pepper to it.
- Once the beef has browned well from all the sides, remove it from heat. Drain and set it aside. You may also drain it on a kitchen towel to remove the excess oil from the pieces. This process makes it more healthier for the diet watchers.
2. For the broth
- Add chopped onions (preferably the yellow ones, but if that is not available then normal ones would do the trick) and stir fry for about 5 minutes till it has softened nicely and looks translucent and gets a shiny gloss.
- Now, keep the heat of the stove low and add flour and fry for another 2 minutes. While this process is on, remember to keep stirring as constant stirring helps the flour to roast evenly without getting burned.
- Add the chopped garlic, wine to the flour and simmer to form a thick paste. Once this is done, add bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, beef broth and last but not the least the fried beef.
3. Simmer till done
Once the above process is done, the broth with beef can be simmered on a low flame for an hour. Keep stirring in between this process to avoid the beef from sticking to the bottom of the vessel. After about an hour, add the diced vegetables to this and simmer for another 30 minutes till both the vegetables and meat pieces are tender and juicy. Take it off the stove and add freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Will so much of cooking take the important elements from the beef stew?
While, all meats are basically muscles and the muscles typically have very less flavor and are tougher. So it’s important to use an appropriate cooking method for the beef stew. Stewing also tenderizes the meat and makes it more appetizing and palatable.
2. How do I thicken the beef stew gravy?
There are many ways to thicken up your beef stew :
- One is the old fashioned way of mixing water into the flour without any lumps and adding it to your hot beef stew. For this, you require to add 3 tablespoons of flour for a cup of water.
- The second method uses a combination of water and corn starch. For this, you need to take around 2 tablespoons of corn starch mixed in a cup of water and pour it into the boiling stew to make it thicker.
Quick Tips:
- Select the right type of meat for the stew. Buy less expensive cuts like shoulders, legs etc as these are tougher and will not shrivel away with all the cooking done.
- Check out this recipe with either browned meat or with a fresh cut. Cook the way you like it.
- Add a butternut squash and a handful of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and halved to get that amazing flavor for your stew.
- Mix some lemon zest, chopped garlic and rosemary over the stew before serving. A small amount of these will bring out the appetizing and wonderful aroma of the dish which is loved by all age groups.
Things To Watch Out For:
- This recipe is easy to prepare but needs a lot of preparation time. Make sure all your ingredients are ready to be put in while you go about doing your other chores.
- Always use the wine which you love or prefer to drink into the beef stew rather than blindly following the recipe.
