Soups · Autumn and winter
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Chuck, seared, then simmered. The potatoes go in late so they stay in pieces.
2 hours 45 minutes · Serves 6 · About 8 cups
“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 and a half inch cubes
- 1 ½ tsp fine salt, plus more at the end
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp tallow
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, cut into coins
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ lb potatoes, cut into chunks
Method
- 1
Pat the beef dry. Toss it with the salt, pepper, and flour. Heat the tallow in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear the beef in two batches until browned. Do not crowd the pot, or it steams. Lift the beef out.
- 2
Lower the heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery in the fat for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Return the beef. Add the broth, bay, and thyme. The meat should be just covered.
- 3
Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook on low, or in a 300°F oven, for 1 and a half hours. Add the potatoes. Cook 40 minutes more, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
- 4
Taste the broth and add salt if it needs it. Remove the bay leaves. If the stew is thin, simmer it uncovered 10 minutes. If it is thick, add a splash of broth.
From the kitchen
- The flour on the beef is the thickener. Do not add a second thickener unless the stew is still thin at the end.
- A hard boil breaks the meat into strings. A quiet simmer is what you want.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
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