Winter is a great time to get out your Dutch ovens and make stew! This one is a favorite, but the broth is thinner than I’m used to. I’m sure it’d be easy to thicken with a bit of a cornstarch slurry if you desire!
HEARTY BEEF STEW
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs beef stew meat
4 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1/4 cup frozen peas
5 cups low sodium beef broth
salt and pepper (to season)
DIRECTIONS
1. First, prepare your meat by cutting it into chunks and making sure that it’s dry so it
browns well (just use a paper towel). Season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the
butter and olive oil in a large pot, then add in the meat and cook it until it has browned
on all sides. Remove it from the pot and set it aside (you may need to cook the meat in
two batches so it browns well and the pot isn’t too crowded).
2. Cook the diced onion and minced garlic in the same pot, just until the onion softens,
then add in the tomato paste and stir it in well (I used a whisk for this part), then let
cook for a minute or two. Still stirring, add in 4 cups of the beef broth (reserve the
remaining cup for later, in case you need to thin out the stew), then add in sugar and a
dash or two of Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and return the beef and all its juices back
into the pot, then cover and reduce the heat to low and just let the stew simmer for
about an hour and a half, stirring it occasionally.
3. In the meantime, prepare your vegetables. Peel and dice your carrots and potatoes (you can omit the potatoes and instead serve the stew with mashed potatoes). After the stew has been cooking for about an hour and a half, add in the carrots, potatoes and frozen peas, and let the stew cook for another half our, or until the meat and the vegetables are soft. If the stew is getting too thick, add some more beef broth at this point too, and check the seasoning. Serve hot with some crusty white bread!
barenakedchefsaidso.com 