Classic Beef Stew: A Hearty Soul-Warming Meal

Classic Beef Stew

This Classic Beef Stew recipe is full of tender beef, a ton of carrots, celery, onions, and simmered in a warm rich red wine tomato beef broth. It's comfort food of the highest quality, simple ingredients, and the smells and taste are so inviting. It is sure to keep your family warm all winter long,

This Classic Beef Stew comes together in one pot with minimal ingredients and work. All you need to do is serve it up alongside your favorite creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or buttery egg noddles.

I love to make a big patch of this stew to serve for Sunday family dinner or to have on hand for something easy to heat up for a busy weeknight. It tastes great on the day it's made and even better as leftovers or a make ahead meal. It's such an easy recipe to make. A bit of chopping, mixing, simmering, and then the oven takes over to finish it off.

One of my favorite ingredients in this stew is not just the fall apart tender beef but the carrots. I love to add a ton of them and keep the pieces large and cut on a diagonal so they're as big as the beef. There is just something so delicious about the flavors they soak up from simmering and mingling with all the other ingredients. Plus, I love that they add a nice bright color to the dish.

If you're a lover of comforting foods, that are sure to keep you nourished and warm from the inside out, them you must make this Classic Beef Stew!

The Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 lbs stew meat

• sea salt to season meat

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 4 stalks celery, washed and sliced

• 1 large onion, diced

• 6 to 8 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick on the diagonal

• 4 cloves garlic, minced fine

• 1 1/2 cups red wine

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• 2 bay leaves

• sea salt and pepper to taste

The Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Pat the meat dry and season with sea salt.

3. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add a single layer of the stew meat to the hot oil. Sear the meat for about 1 minute per side. Remove the meat from the pan and place in a shallow dish. Repeat with the remaining meat.

4. Add in the celery, onion, and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes of until the onion is translucent and slightly browned. Stir occasionally.

5. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

6. Add in the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom.

7. Add in the tomatoes, water, bay leaves, and meat and any juices from the meat. Bring to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

8. Cover the pot and bake for about 1 to 1.5 hours. Stir the stew about half way through.

9. Remove for oven and slightly shift the lid ajar. Allow to sit and thicken for at least 20 minutes before serving.

10. Serve it alone or with your favorite crusty Italian bread, creamy polenta, buttery egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

    
    

    Enjoy! xx