FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Food

Easy Beef Stew Recipe

A simple and satisfying meal to get you through the long, cold winter.
Easy Beef Stew Recipe
Photo by Heami Lee

Servings: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 ½ hours

Ingredients

8 ounces|227 grams streaky bacon, thinly sliced into ½-inch pieces
12 ounces|340 grams button mushrooms, quartered
3 pounds|1 kilogram 361 grams boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 (3 cups|750 ml) bottle dry red wine
2 cups|473 ml beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
crusty bread, to serve

Directions

  1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  2. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.
  3. Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. Add the canola oil to the saucepan and, working in batches, cook the beef (careful not to overcrowd the pan!), turning as needed, until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.
  4. Add the carrot, celery, and onion to the saucepan. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, then stir in the flour and cook 1 minute more. Add half of the reserved bacon, all of the mushrooms and the beef back to the saucepan, along with the wine, stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered slightly, stirring occasionally, until the beef is incredibly tender and nearly falling apart, a bout 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  5. Add the butter to the stew, stirring to combine. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig and garnish with the remaining bacon and the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Get recipes like this and more in the Munchies Recipes newsletter. Sign up here.