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Beef Stew
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Beef Stew

This recipe makes a delicious, comforting Beef Stew
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Dairy-Free Option, Entertaining, Gluten-Free Option, Make-Ahead Option
Servings: 6

Note: If you are cooking for a particular style of eating, please check all of your ingredients carefully.

Many of my recipes have alternatives, and you want to choose the alternatives that fit the style you are preparing. Also, packaged goods may have ingredients you wouldn't expect. Soy sauce may or may not have gluten. Chocolate may or may not have dairy. This means you want to check the ingredients labels on the products you will use. Also, it's important to be aware that if you are cooking for someone with allergies or other reasons to take special care, you should avoid cross-contamination. For example, don't use the same utensil that was used in food containing the allergen or use the same cutting board that was used for food containing the allergen.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour or arrowroot flour
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 pounds beef chuck roast
  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2/3 cup red wine (such as pinot noir)
  • 1 pound rutabaga (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 pound carrots (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

  • Cut beef into bite-sized pieces, trimming away and discarding any large pieces of fat. Mix together flour, one tablespoon of the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add beef and toss to coat the beef.
    Beef coated in flour mixture
  • Heat oil in a large skillet. Put a portion of the beef in the skillet and brown it on one side. Flip it and brown it on the other side. Remove from skillet. Continue browning beef in the batches and removing it from the skillet, adding additional olive oil as needed.
    Beef Browning in Pan
  • Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring up brown bits in the pan, adding additional olive oil as needed. When onion is fully cooked, add garlic and stir briefly.
    Onions cooking
  • Add remaining thyme, beef broth, tomatoes, wine and the beef. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally until the beef is tender, about two hours. Add rutabaga, carrots and potatoes and simmer until vegetables are cooked.
    Beef Stew with Vegetables
  • Add peas and simmer until peas are cooked.
    Beef Stew

Notes

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Mom's Best One-Dish Suppers by Andrea Chesman (https://amzn.to/4gNVse7).  The book contains recipes for comfort food from Louisiana-Style Shrimp and Rice to Pad Thai.
Use arrowroot powder for gluten-free stew.
This is a great make-ahead dish.  It also freezes well.
I like to make a very large amount of stew and put some in the freezer for a future meal.  When I make a very large amount, rather than simmering on the stove, I bake it in a large roasting pan at 350 degrees until the stew is bubbly, and then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees until the stew finishes cooking.