Beef Stew

Classic beef stew. Beef braised in thickened stock with carrots, potatoes, and onion.

• Beef, seared, in chunks. Use cuts with lots of connective tissue eg. chuck roast
• Flour, for thickening (toss beef chunks in this)
• Carrots, potato, onion, and maybe peas at the end
• Dry red wine to deglaze, stock
• Additions: tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bay, thyme, etc. Can thicken further with a cornstarch slurry.

Simmering on a stove or in a low oven (~300F), stew for more than an hour. Then add veggies and potatoes and continue to stew until almost desired tenderness (~1hr). Finish by reducing uncovered on stove-top.

Notes:

• Can sear beef as steaks first to reduce water loss/overcooking, then cut into cubes
• There is a compromise between adding vegetables early to flavor the broth, and adding later to maintain texture.

Example (Kenji):

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, seasoned, seared as steaks then cut into large chunks, tossed in 2 Tbsp flour
• 10 oz white button mushrooms, 2 carrots, 8 oz pearl onions, as the stew veggies (peas, also)
• Halved onion, 2 small ribs celery, 2 carrots, 3 cloves garlic, all unpeeled/left whole
• 1 cup sherry/dry vermouth red wine
• 4 cups chicken stock blended smooth with 3 T tomato paste, 3 anchovy fillets, 1 T soy sauce, 1 T worcestershire sauce, and 1 oz (4 packets) gelatin for smooth, flavorful broth imitating the thickness of a veal stock
• 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, to avoid extra starchiness (flour and gelatine should be enough for thickening)

This recipe has vegetables that are braised from the beginning to add flavor, which is removed before adding the vegetables left in the final stew.

Sear the beef, remove from pot, then saute the stew veggies, then remove from pot, then blacken the broth veggies. Deglaze with red wine, reduce, and add stock.

Use this to braise the beef (add bay leaves and thyme) in a 300F oven for 90 minutes. Fish out everything except the beef, and add the sauted veggies and potatoes. Continue braising for upwards of an hour until everything is tender. Reduce. Add peas and season.