I didn't follow any specific recipe as I put this stew together. Instead, I fall back on techniques like searing and braising to get flavorful and tender meat, and then I taste as I go, until the stew was just right. To give the beef enough time to stew, I cook the meat first and then add the vegetables closer to the end of cooking. A beef chuck roast is the best choice of stew meat for this dish because it can hold up to long, slow cooking and has enough marbling to baste itself as it cooks. Don't be alarmed by the layers of fat within each cube of chuck; the fat melts out, leaving behind flavorful, fork-tender meat. After the dish is cooked, you will have an opportunity to remove the grease; it's easiest to do this after chilling the dish overnight in the refrigerator.

The secret to the best stew is making it a day (or even two days) ahead. A day in the fridge gives the flavors a chance to meld and develop. Working ahead has other advantages too ~ you can degrease the stew easily when the chilled fat solidifies on the surface and you can dish out the amount you need for that meal. I usually serve my stew with white rice, lots of crusty bread and a good Merlot. Enjoy!
Just Good Old Beef Stew
Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless beef roast, cut into 1½ -inch cubes
Vegetable oil for browning the meat
2 cups sliced onions
¾ cup sliced carrots
¾ cup sliced celery
1 bottle of medium-body, fruity, young red wine (divided)
4 large unpeeled garlic cloves, smashed
3 cups beef broth
3 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
24 small frozen pearl onions, defrosted
3 cups quartered fresh mushrooms
5 tablespoons softened butter (divided)
3 tablespoons flour
Dry the meat thoroughly with paper towels – damp meat won't brown well. Film a frying pan with oil and set over moderately high heat. When very hot but not smoking, brown as many pieces of meat as will fit in one layer without crowding. Turn frequently to brown on all sides – 3 to 5 minutes; this is a very important flavor step, so don't take shortcuts. Transfer the pieces as they are done to a 3-quart, heavy-bottom, flameproof casserole or Dutch oven.
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Skim all but a spoonful of fat out of the frying pan. (If burned, discard all the fat and add fresh oil.) Add the sliced vegetables, stirring and tossing for 3 to 4 minutes to brown lightly before scraping them out over the beef. Pour a cup of the wine into the frying pan, swishing and scraping up any browned bits and coagulated juices. Pour the liquid into the casserole. Add the garlic, the remaining wine, and beef broth to the casserole to cover. Fold in the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and salt to taste. You should have enough liquid almost to cover the beef; add more beef broth if needed.
Bring the mixture to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven and cook for about 3 hours, turning and basting the meat several times, until just fork-tender. Check the dish after 15 minutes to make sure it is not boiling; reduce oven temperature if it is bubbling too vigorously; it should maintain a simmer.
While the dish simmers, prepare the pearl onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, then sauté onions, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add water to come halfway up the sides, then simmer, partially covered, until onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the 1 tablespoon butter in a large, nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until brown and any liquid that the mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
When beef is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a colander set over a saucepan to collect all the liquid. Wash out the casserole and return the pieces of beef to it. Press the juices from the solids in the colander into the saucepan. Degrease the cooking liquid and taste very carefully for seasoning. You should have about 3 cups of liquid. Boil it down rapidly if its flavor needs concentrating. Remove from heat.
Using clean hands, blend flour and remaining 3 tablespoons of the butter into a paste with your fingers. Whisk the butter-flour paste into the degreased sauce. When thoroughly incorporated, bring the sauce to a boil to thicken. If not thick enough, repeat the process using ½ tablespoon each of flour and butter.
Add the sauce, prepared onions and sautéed mushrooms to the beef in the casserole and simmer for 2 minutes to blend the flavors. This dish is best if made a day or two ahead of serving, as its flavors meld and develop overnight. Cool, uncovered, before chilling, covered. If making ahead, it's easier to remove fat from the surface after chilling. If you can't make it a day or two before serving, at least time the preparation so that it sits at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. The dish may be reheated, covered, in a 350 F oven. For faster reheating, remove stew from the refrigerator an hour before putting in the oven.
Serves 8
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George’s notes:
- I usually divide the leftovers into portions that can be frozen for up to 2 months for later meals.

There is nothing more comforting than the smell of a wonderful beef stew simmering on the stove. I agree with you about the beef chuck roast. So much of the flavor comes from the fat in the meat.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful meal, George, for a cold winter day.
Stew is one of my favorite throw what's ever in the fridge dishes for winter. I made lamb stew just this week & I know what you mean about better the day after because it made a great lunch the next day.
ReplyDeleteBeef stew is my favorite cold weather comfort food. I just can't go through winter without it! I tto, always use chuck roast as the meat is more tender and flavorful than other cuts of beef. I would love of a bowl of your delicious stew for lunch today, and maybe dinner too!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cut. WD has chuck roasts on sale, buy one get one free this week. Time to load the freezer. My favorite recipe is for Beef Bourg. but your stew is pure Americana at it's best.
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe, George!
ReplyDeleteAnd you're absolutely right...stews taste so much better the second or third day! My mother used to add dumplings to hers.
And my mother-in-law always made something called Gaston Beef Stew out of Joy of Cooking. She brought it when we moved, had babies, were ill- whatever. I still make it. (And add dumplings!)
Barbara, thanks for mentioning Gaston Stew. I just looked it up and it sounds really good. It has whole cloves in the recipe, which would really put a twist to a stew. Thanks...
ReplyDeleteMmm mmm good! Thank you..I'll have to make this soon!
ReplyDeleteSandra
There are dishes that are perfectly paired to the season in which they are usually served. Plain or fancy, beef stew is one of them. I love your recipe, George. It would warm the cockles of the hardest heart. Have a great day...Mary
ReplyDeleteJust made stew a few days ago.... with what my husband referred to as "those puffy white things" because he momentarily forgot what they were called ... and "they" were dumplings. Talk about an unknowing compliment hey? puffy is good......I like that.....
ReplyDeletehave to say I've never really made a point of using chuck..but, will aim for that next time....mostly I just pick up already wrapped stew beef ... not sure what they use on a regular basis for it...I'll ask my butcher ..... although, having said that...we've never had a tough or stringy stew .. I love stew and it is so nutritious and really economical...
George, that looks so great. Nothing tastes quite like American beef stew. Like your stew pot also. I believe I own the twin.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, what time is dinner? We'll bring the Merlot and the crusty multigrain bread I just baked.
ReplyDeleteSoups and stews for winter days... what more can you ask for? This looks wonderfully robust.
So comfort food. Perfect for a large group.
ReplyDeleteWe're experiencing just the right weather for a bowl of your wonderful stew. I love your orange LeCreuset--I have its sister in my cupboard.
ReplyDeleteA good simple beef stew always hits the spot--so nice and warming!
ReplyDeleteYou are making a simple stew very tantalizing; on my menu this week because we are now in a deep freeze.
ReplyDelete