How to Make Simple Beef Stew
An easy meal for chilly fall nights, beef stew traditionally contains bite-size pieces of beef, potatoes, carrots and onion. Stewing involves cooking food in liquid until the meat and vegetables are tender and the liquid reduces and thickens. Beef stew is easy to make because it requires minimal monitoring and is very difficult to overcook. Two short cuts -- searing the meat and using a thickening agent -- will help develop flavor and speed up cooking time. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 1 to 2 lbs. chuck roast
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- Bowl
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- Saute pan
- Kitchen tongs
- Stock pot
- 7 cups beef broth
- Wooden spoon
- 1 cup carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped potato
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Instructions
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1
Trim the excess fat from a 1- to 2-lb. chuck roast. Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces.
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2
Mix 1 cup flour and 1 tsp. salt in a bowl. Coat the meat in the flour and set aside.
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3
Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan at medium-high heat.
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4
Sear the meat in the oil until all sides are browned. Turn the meat occasionally with kitchen tongs. You do not need to cook the meat completely -- searing the meat with increase the flavor and speed up the stewing process.
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5
Remove the meat from the saute pan and place in a large stock pot. Drain the oil from the saute pan, but do not scrape the browned meat pieces from the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside for later use.
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6
Fill the stock pot with 6 cups of beef broth and bring to a simmer.
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7
Pour 1 cup of beef broth into the used saute pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned meat pieces from the bottom of the pan. Pour the broth into the stock pot when the saute pan is clean.
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8
Add 1 cup carrots, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped potato, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper and 2 bay leaves to the stock pot.
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9
Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are tender and the meat is completely cooked. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
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10
Mix 1 tbsp. flour and 2 tbsp. water. Add the flour mixture to the stew after it has simmered for 1 hour. Stir the flour mixture into the stew until it is completely dissolved.
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11
Check the tenderness of the vegetables with a fork. Add 1/2 cup frozen green peas to the stew once the vegetables can be pierced with the fork.
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12
Cook the stew for an additional 10 minutes after adding the peas, and then remove the pot from the stove.
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13
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
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Tips & Warnings
Store the leftover stew in plastic storage containers for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months.
When cooking, the meat should reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Use caution when handling the hot oil and pans.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
