Hearty and Delicious Beef Stew
Can Be Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Prep time 4+ hours
Makes 6-8 servings
Keeps up to 5 days in the fridge
Freezes beautifully
Sometimes winter can be brutal. Especially in Texas, where people don’t understand how to function once the temperature drops below freezing. That’s when it’s time for some comfort food. And, this hearty, delicious stew will not disappoint!
I made it on a particularly cold day, when I was feeling a bit blue. We’d had the worst winter storm in years in Dallas, and it was taking some time to bounce back. Just making this stew made me feel better. It’s a bit of a process and made me feel like I was channeling Julia Child. Then when I poured myself a big bowl of it for dinner, it was like heaven. The stew meat literally fell apart in my mouth it was so tender, and the juices are the perfect mix of savory flavors.
I recommend making this when you have at least half a day to invest, and when you need to feel like you have accomplished making something really special.
Hearty and Delicious Beef Stew
What You'll Need...
3 lbs of stew meat, cubed
2 small sweet onions, chopped into large pieces
6 large garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup flour (I used a gluten free flour and it worked fine!)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar
4 cups of beef broth
1 cup of water
1/2 cup dry red wine
Fresh thyme leaves
2-3 medium bay leaves
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 lb small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into small pieces
Preparation...
* Open stew meat and break into 3 equal sections. I like to cut the stew meat into 1 - 1.5 inch pieces, but, it’s not required.
* In 3 shifts, brown the stew meat in a large soup pot, using olive oil and sat and pepper. Shift the meat into a large bowl, but leave the oil and juices.
* Brown the onions and garlic in the meat juices until translucent.
* Add back in the stew meat, and sprinkle in the flour. Stir the flour around with the meat and onion mixture until it is completely covered with the juices.
* Add the tomatoes paste. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until all of the meat and onion mixture is covered well, about 3-4 minutes.
* Add the vinegar, broth, water, and dry red wine. Bring to a boil.
* Preheat oven to 350°.
* Cover pot and move to the oven. Cook at 350° for 1.5 hours.
* Remove the stew from the oven, and add the bay leaf, thyme, carrots and potatoes.
* Bring to a boil on the stovetop, and then simmer for another hour, or until the meat is tender.
Serve hot and enjoy!