Description
This Red Wine Beef Stew is a rich and hearty dish perfect for cozy dinners. Slow-cooked in the oven until tender, the beef absorbs deep flavors from red wine, fresh herbs, and vegetables. Enhanced with a savory bacon, pearl onion, carrot, and mushroom topping, this classic stew offers a perfect balance of robust taste and comforting textures that will warm you from the inside out.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Stew Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast (cut into 1 ½ inch chunks)
- 2 onions (diced)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic (pressed or finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine (such as syrah or zinfandel)
- 3 cups beef stock
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 2 carrots (peeled and cut into ½ inch coins)
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl onions (or cipollini onions)
- 2-3 carrots (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 8 crimini mushrooms (thickly sliced)
- 2 slices of bacon (cut into 1 inch lardons)
Garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for slow-cooking the stew.
- Season the beef: Sprinkle kosher salt over the beef chunks and set them aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Sauté the onions: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, season lightly with kosher salt, and cook, stirring often, until they become golden brown and caramelized, approximately 20 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and garlic: Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 2 cloves of pressed or minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture turns rust-colored, releasing its deep flavor.
- Add flour: Sprinkle ¼ cup of flour over the mixture and stir continuously for about 1 minute to cook the flour and help thicken the stew later.
- Incorporate liquids: Slowly whisk in 3 cups of beef stock followed by 1 cup of red wine, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift all the flavorful browned bits (fond) and blend them into the liquid.
- Add herbs and simmer: Add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, and 1-2 bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the beef: Stir in the seasoned beef chunks and arrange them so they are partially submerged but some are sticking out of the liquid. Return the mixture to a simmer.
- Oven cook the stew: Transfer the Dutch oven to the preheated oven and cook uncovered for 1 hour and 45 minutes to tenderize the beef and develop flavors.
- Prepare the vegetables for second cook: Remove the stew from the oven. Scrape down the browned bits from the sides with a spoon. Add peeled and cubed potatoes and carrot coins to the stew. Stir gently and rearrange the beef on top of the vegetables, allowing it to brown during the next cooking phase.
- Continue oven cooking: Return the pot uncovered to the oven and cook for an additional hour or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Prepare the vegetable topping: While the stew cooks, in a medium sauté pan, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook bacon and onions: Add the bacon lardons to the pan and cover with a lid. When the water starts boiling, remove the lid and stir in pearl onions and 1-2 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook, stirring often, until the water evaporates completely.
- Sauté mushrooms and season: Add 8 thickly sliced crimini mushrooms and season lightly with salt (considering the bacon’s saltiness). Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are nicely browned, about 20-30 minutes. Add a little olive oil if needed to prevent sticking due to bacon fat variability.
- Final stew touch: When the stew is done, remove it from the oven, stir gently, and scrape any browned bits from the sides back into the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as necessary.
- Serve: Spoon the stew into bowls and top with the prepared vegetable topping and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
- Optional side: Serve alongside warm crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- Use a good quality dry red wine like syrah or zinfandel to deepen the stew’s flavor.
- Make sure to brown the onions slowly for best caramelization; this step is key for rich flavor.
- Adjust salt at the end as the bacon and broth add saltiness.
- The topping adds a nice texture contrast and extra savoriness to the stew.
- Use Yukon gold potatoes as they hold their shape well during long cooking.
- This stew can be prepared a day ahead to allow the flavors to meld even more.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully and often taste better the next day.
