Beef Stew

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Nothing like knowing you have a pot of comforting Beef Stew simmering away on the stove.

Am I the only one who gets food magazines each month by the handful, but doesn’t quite follow through with actually making any of the amazing recipes that I read about in said magazines? Many times it is easier to keep the usual tacos, spaghetti and grilled cheese that makes everyone happy than to shake things up a bit and try something new. Well, I decided to actually make something that I saw in a recent issue of Allrecipes Magazine. That turned out to be an excellent decision, this recipe for Beef Stew is amazing. I love the depth of flavor that comes from the addition of tomato paste.

Beef Stew starts out with stew meat which I found in the grocery meat dept. already cubed for stew. It needs a lot of time to cook and become tender. It takes about 3 hours, most of which is hands off, to make this stew. But you will be rewarded with a flavorful bowl of stew that is loaded with veggies and tender cubes of beef. I made this in my dutch oven, but any heavy pot will do. This reheats beautifully and makes a wonderful lunch. 😉

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Beef Stew

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

2 hours 45 mins

Total time

3 hours 5 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon VEGETABLE OIL
1 lb. BEEF STEW MEAT, cubed
1 medium ONION, thinly sliced
1 6 oz. can TOMATO PASTE
2 cups WATER*
2 teaspoons BEEF BOUILLON PASTE*
1 cup CHOPPED CARROTS
5 cups YUKON GOLD POTATOES, peeled and cubed
½ teaspoon dried ROSEMARY
1 teaspoon dried THYME
1 BAY LEAF
¼ teaspoon CRUSHED RED PEPPER
1¼ teaspoons SALT (or more to taste)
1½ cups WATER
8 oz. FRESH MUSHROOMS, quartered
3 Tablespoons CORN STARCH
1 10 oz. pkg. FROZEN PEAS (optional)

Instructions

In large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add meat in batches, cook until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate while finishing the rest of the meat.
Add onion and tomato paste to the pan and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until onion is soft - this should take about 5 minutes. Put the meat back in the pan along with 2 cups of water and beef bouillon paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered, for about 1½ hours until the meat is tender.
Add carrots, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¾ cup water (you may need a little more water to cover everything). Cover again and simmer another 45 minutes.
Add in mushrooms and ¾ cup water. Cook another 10 minutes.
Put 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch into a small bowl. Ladle in about ½ cup of the liquid from the stew. Stir together until smooth and add to the stew. Stir thoroughly and simmer another 5-10 minutes. Add peas if using.
Remove bay leaf. Taste and add ¼ teaspoon or more salt if needed.

Notes

*You can also use store bought beef broth instead of 2 cups of water and beef bouillon paste. I usually have Better than Bouillon in my fridge, so I just use that.

The peas may discolor when you reheat the leftover stew, that's why I listed them as optional.

I like a bit thicker stew, that's why I added the cornstarch slurry. Feel free to omit if stew is thick enough for you.

Recipe Source: All Recipes Magazine