Description
Dutch oven beef stew is a hearty, flavorful one-pot meal featuring tender chunks of beef, root vegetables, and aromatic herbs slow-cooked to perfection. The Dutch oven provides even heat distribution which results in a savory, comforting stew with rich broth and tender ingredients.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck (a well-marbled chuck roast), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 cup dry red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec)
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup diced Russet potato
- 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes, or until crisp and browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Pat the beef cubes dry with a paper towel. Then coat each piece evenly in the flour mixture.
- Return the Dutch oven with the bacon grease to medium-high heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Then add the cubes of beef. Sear them for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot or the beef won’t brown properly. If needed, brown it in batches. Once the beef has browned, remove it to a plate and set it aside.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the pot. Cook for 1 minute. Next add the red wine and gently scrap any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, browned beef, bacon, and remaining salt, pepper and cayenne to the Dutch oven.
- Turn the heat to medium low and cover the pot. Allow the beef to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, a fork should easily slide in and out of the beef. If it doesn’t, cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Next, add the vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery, frozen pearl onions, and mushrooms) to the pot. Cook the stew for another 30 minutes, or until the veggies are fork tender. Remove the pot from heat, and remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Ladle the stew into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
My favorite cut of beef for stewing: A chuck roast – it has great flavor, and when braised it becomes tender and juicy. (But London broil or bone-in short rib are also delicious.) While it might be tempting to use a package of “stew meat” from the grocery store, it’s important to know that those pieces are the butcher’s leftover scraps from cutting different types of meat. So these random pieces will not cook up consistently, or even finish cooking at the same time.
Craving more veggies in this beef stew? During the last 10-15 minutes of simmering, add 1 cup frozen peas. Since frozen peas are already partially cooked during the freezing process, they don’t need as much time as the other ingredients to be fully heated through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 Hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American