Beef Stew
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https://instructions.wiki/recipes/beef-stew
Makes 6 to 8 · 30 min prep · 3 hr 20 min cooking
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
- 4 cups (950 ml) beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 4 carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
Dry and season the beef
Heat the oven to 325F (165C). Blot every piece of chuck dry with paper towels and keep blotting until the surface no longer feels damp. Season with the salt and pepper. Surface moisture is what turns a sear into a steam bath.
Brown the beef in batches
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the beef in a single layer with space between the pieces, working in three batches. Leave each batch undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn to brown a second side. Move the browned beef to a bowl. Crowding the pot drops the temperature and the meat will gray instead of crusting.
Build the base
Lower the heat to medium and add the onions to the fat in the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, flour, and tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon until they release.
Braise until tender
Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. The liquid should come most of the way up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and move to the oven for 2 hours.
Add the vegetables
Stir in the potatoes and carrots, cover, and cook for another 45 minutes. Adding them now keeps them intact instead of dissolving into the sauce.
Check for doneness
The stew is ready at 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours total, when a piece of chuck pulls apart under light pressure from a fork. That happens around 200F to 205F internal, well past the 145F that would still be tough. Skim the fat, pull out the bay leaves and thyme stems, and season.