Stews

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Hearty stovetop stew with tender chuck, red wine, carrots and potatoes. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2½ lb beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Dredge the beef. Pat the beef dry. Toss with the flour, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
2. Brown in batches (12 min). Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the beef in 2–3 batches without crowding, about 4 minutes per batch. Move to a plate.
3. Soften the aromatics (8 min). Lower to medium. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
4. Deglaze (3 min). Pour in the wine and simmer, scraping the bottom, until reduced by about half.
5. Simmer the beef (1 hr 30 min). Return the beef with its juices. Add the broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme and paprika. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the vegetables (45 min). Stir in the carrots, potatoes and celery. Cover and simmer until the vegetables and beef are fork-tender.
7. Finish (3 min). Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the peas and heat through. Adjust salt and pepper, and top with the parsley.

Notes

• Too thin? Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, or mash a few potato chunks into the liquid.
• No wine? Use more broth plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
• Oven option: put the covered pot in at 325°F for steps 5–6.
• It tastes even better the next day.

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