Tender Beef Stew
- PREP 20min
- COOK 3hrs 15min
- TOTAL 3hrs 35min
Our melt-in-your-mouth tender beef stew with potatoes and root vegetables is so good that I just know you’ll want to make it again and again! The beef is incredibly tender, the vegetables are perfectly cooked, and the sauce is rich and flavorful. Consider serving this with some crusty bread, homemade flatbread, or this buttery beer bread to soak up some of that delicious gravy.
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds well-marbled beef chuck roast, cut into large pieces (680 g)
3 pounds beef short ribs (1.3 kg)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (30 ml)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large parsnip, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter (42 g)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced, stems removed and discarded (110 g)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (42 g)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (45 g)
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine, see notes
6 cups beef stock or rich vegetable stock (1.42 L)
2 bay leaves
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, left whole
1 bunch fresh thyme
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the oven rack in the middle of your oven so your Dutch oven fits.
2Sear the beef: Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the beef. Add oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef (both the beef chuck roast and short ribs) on all sides. If needed, do this in two batches to avoid crowding the pot. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl.
3Start the veggies: Remove some rendered fat from the pot, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons. (Watch our video to see me do this!) Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, two-thirds of the garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside. They will continue cooking in the stew later.
4Start the gravy: Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Then add the shiitake mushrooms and the remaining garlic. Cook for about one minute. Stir in the tomato paste and flour, breaking up any clumps.
5Add the wine: Slowly pour one-third of the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. A few small lumps are okay. Pour in the remaining wine and bring it to a simmer. Cook until the liquid reduces by half.
6Bake: Add beef stock, all of the browned beef, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring everything to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours, stirring after the first hour.
7Prepare the potatoes: About 10 minutes before the 2 hours are up, peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
8Add the potatoes and veggies: After 2 hours, add the potatoes and reserved vegetables to the stew. Top with thyme, cover, and return to the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the beef is incredibly tender and the vegetables are tender.
9Finish and serve: Throw away the thyme stems. Skim off excess fat from the stew’s surface (recommended). Leave a small amount for flavor. Serve the beef in large chunks or pull it into bite-sized pieces, removing any extra fat or gristle as you go.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Short ribs: Look for meaty, English-cut short ribs with bones, not thin, or Korean-style short ribs. The meat becomes incredibly soft and tender, and the bones fall into the stew, making them easy to remove after cooking.
- Wine: Look for dry French wine like Bordeaux and Côtes du Rhône, or use Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. We recommend using the wine, but you can substitute it with more beef stock for a slightly less rich but still delicious option.
- Slow cooker directions: This beef stew recipe works great in a slow cooker! Here’s how to adapt it. Follow our recipe below until the wine is reduced by half. Transfer everything but the veggies and potatoes to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until the beef is incredibly tender. Add the potatoes and veggies during the last hour of cooking to prevent them from getting too mushy.
- Thicken the Stew: I usually don’t need any thickener, but you can thicken the stew if needed. When finished cooking, combine ½ tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Then, slowly whisk this mixture into your simmering stew. As it simmers, it will thicken.
- Storing: Leftovers can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.