Hearty Beef Stew
This recipe makes a lot so you can freeze the rest and have on a rainy/snowy day when you don’t want to cook.
Serves 6-8
- 5 pounds James Ranch stew meat
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions , chopped medium
- 3 medium garlic cloves , pressed through a garlic press
- 1 ½ cups dry red wine
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 lbs. Russet potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ½ to ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Dry the beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Braise meat in two batches until pieces are browned on all sides using more oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.
- Return the Dutch oven to medium heat and add more 2 teaspoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red wine; scraping the browned bits off the skillet bottom. Stir the broths, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Add meat; return to a simmer. Cover and place in oven; simmer for about 1 hour.
- Remove Dutch oven from oven, add potatoes and carrots, cover and return to oven. Simmer until meat is just tender about 1 hour. Remove stew from oven. (Can be cooled, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
- Stir in the peas and parsley and allow to stand 5 minutes.
- Adjust seasonings, and serve.
