Description

Easy beef stew recipe tender meat vegetables rich broth. Family favorite feeds 8 freezes perfect. Ready in 2 hours!

Ingredients

For the Beef and Base:

2 pounds beef stew meat (cubed chuck roast)
4 tablespoons cornstarch (divided into two portions)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

For the Vegetables and Seasonings:

1½ pounds red potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
10 ounces pearl onions
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

For Thickening:

¼ cup cold water (for cornstarch slurry)

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Instructions

1. Prep the Beef

Put beef in bowl with 2 tablespoons cornstarch salt and pepper. Mix it around until coated.

2. Brown the Meat

Heat oil in pot until it looks shimmery. Add beef but don’t overcrowd or it won’t brown right. Let each side get brown and crusty about 3-4 minutes. Should be sizzling loud.

3. Add Aromatics

Push beef to one side add garlic and tomato paste to empty space. Cook 1-2 minutes until garlic smells good and tomato paste gets darker.

4. Create the Broth

Pour in broth and Worcestershire. Scrape up all the brown stuff stuck to bottom with wooden spoon. That’s pure flavor.

5. Layer the Vegetables & Seasonings

Add potatoes pearl onions carrots celery sugar basil oregano parsley paprika allspice. Stir everything together.

6. Simmer Until Tender

Bring to boil then turn heat down low and cover. Let it bubble gently 90 minutes to 2 hours stirring sometimes. Beef’s done when it shreds with fork.

7. Finish with Cornstarch Slurry

Mix remaining cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Stir into pot cook 3-5 minutes until thick.

8. Taste and Serve

Try it add more salt if needed. Serve hot with bread for dipping.

Notes

Most people cook it too hot and wonder why their beef’s tough. Keep it barely bubbling or you’ll ruin it.

Pearl onion peeling hack: Drop in boiling water 2 minutes then ice water. Skins slip right off. Cut vegetables same size as meat chunks so everything cooks evenly.

Add splash red wine when you deglaze for restaurant flavor. Alcohol cooks out but taste stays.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American