A hearty beef stew is sometimes all you need to warm up on a cold winter night. There’s nothing like the smell of the stew simmering on the stovetop to instantly get me feeling all toasty inside, ready to chow down on some veggies, beef and broth. This traditional stew has a few untraditional ingredients that might just hit the spot if you give it a try.
This meal should not take more than an hour to prepare. Soon you will be ready to sit back and warm up with a bowl full of our hearty beef stew.
What makes it traditional?
Mire poix builds the foundation of flavor in this dish which includes cubed carrots, onions and celery. The beefy flavor comes from the beef itself (the cut is optional) as well as the broth you use. You can use beef stock you have made yourself, store bought stock, or a single stock cube dissolved in water will all do the trick. The potato is there to add body to the stew.
Some untraditional additions!
I tried out a few additional ingredients which are completely optional but I feel they elevate this dish to a whole new level.
- Soy sauce – Instead of salt I added soy sauce, giving the stew a tasty rounded saltiness plus a darker color.
- Balsamic vinegar – Although I added a small amount of vinegar it definitely adds a deeper flavor to the dish and also adds to darkening the stew’s color.
- Paprika and pepper – This added a bit of spice and warmth to the dish, enough to taste but not overwhelming.
- Honey – Instead of adding sugar I added honey. Just enough to balance out the dish.
The preparation process
Cut the carrots, celery and onions into 3/4 inch cubes this will add flavor and will be the mirepoix for this stew. Cut the beef and potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes (if you store the potatoes, store them in a bowl of water in the refrigerator to prevent oxidization). Finely chop the herbs and prepare all the other ingredients. This will make the cooking process smooth and efficient.
Building the flavor
Start off by sautéing the onions in oil and butter. When they have turned golden brown add in the beef cubes until the beef is browned. Add the flour, paprika, rosemary, thyme and pepper. This mixture creates the roux and is the secret to thickening the stew’s sauce. Continue to stir the pot until the flour has completely coated the beef. Add in 2 cups beef broth.
Add in the carrots, celery, potatoes as well as the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and parsley. Stir the pot thoroughly. The stew should already show signs of thickening. If it is thickening too rapidly then just add 100 ml more water until the vegetables are cooked. Test a potato or carrot as those are the two vegetables that will take the longest to cook. Once they are soft then the stew is done. The cooking process should not take longer than 50 minutes.
Finish
Serve this stew over a bed of rice. I used basmati rice since it goes perfectly with stews and curries.
Hearty Beef Stew
Equipment
- A medium sized pot
- A wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb Beef (cut optional) cubed
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion cubed
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 3 tbsp White flour
- ½ tsp Thyme finely chopped
- ½ tsp Rosemary finely chopped
- 2 cups Water hot
- 1 Beef stock cube
- 4 stalks Celery cubed
- 1 medium Carrot cubed
- 1 medium Potato cubed
- 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
- 2 tsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Preheat a medium pot with butter and oil. Saute onions and garlic until golden brown.
- Add the beef and stir. Once the beef is browned add the flour, paprika, black pepper, thyme and rosemary. Continue to stir the pot until the beef is coated with the flour.
- Add the beef broth (stock cube dissolved in hot water) and stir. Then add the carrots, celery, potato, chopped parsley, soy sauce, balsamic vinager and honey. Mix all the ingredients well.
- On medium to low heat leave to simmer for another 35 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through. If it is showing signs of over reducing (thickening) just add another half a cup of hot water.
- Finish and serve over a bed of rice.
