Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Cubed chuck roast is our favorite type of beef stew meat. It contains a slightly higher percentage of fat than top or bottom roasts and comes from the shoulder of the animal. But like all forms of stew meat, it's meant to be cooked low and slow. Don't try to save time by turning up the heat. Collagen, of which chuck roast contains a high percentage, begins to break down at 160° and fully breaks down at 180°. This means that, whether you're cooking the stew on your stovetop or in the oven, a low temperature is absolutely necessary. Your stew should be barely simmering - the key word here being BARELY.

The only exception is when preparing in a pressure cooker. We don't provide instructions for pressure cooker preparation of this recipe, but if you have one at home it probably came with a handy guide to converting standard recipes to be made in the pressure cooker.

Author

Chef Lisa Rembold

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

3 hours

Servings

4

Category

Stews

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Pound Beef Stew Meat (you can substitute elk or venison here as well)
• 5 Tsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 3 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Medium Onion, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 5 Medium Carrots, chopped into 1/4 pieces
• 2 Large Baking Potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 Tsp salt, plus more to taste

Directions

1. Combine the flour and pepper in a large bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well.  Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot.  Add the beef pieces a few at a time; don't overcrowd...you will need the space for the beef to brown correctly.  Turn the pieces as you're cooking until all the beef is evenly browned on all sides.  It'll take about 5 minutes per batch.  Add more oil if needed in between batches.
2. Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine.  Cook over medium heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to remove all the browned bits.  Add the beef back in, and the beef broth and bay leaves.  Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer, for about 1 1/2 hours, covered.
3. Add the onions and carrots, and simmer, with a lid on, for about 10 minutes.  Add the potatoes and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.  If the stew seems dry, you may add water, more broth, or blended stew tomatoes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with crusty french bread and herb compound butter.
6. Cuisinart MultiCladPro StockPot: 8 QT
7. All-Clad D3 Stock Pot w/Lid - 8 QT
8. Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron Casserole / Dutch Oven: 7 QT