Stew Beef

I’ve been meaning to get this Stew Beef recipe up pretty much all of 2024, probably part of 2023, too. Y’all been asking, and I’ve been promising and failing, but here we are! Finally! If you’ve been with me a while you know that I absolutely love braised beef, so I make this very often, and the method varies.

I’ve written this recipe in a way that should ensure success no matter how experienced you are in the kitchen. I recommend reading the ingredients section carefully, as I list out substitutions and reasonings for certain ingredients. This will help you make sure this Stew Beef recipe works for your palate. I hope you’ll let me know what you think if you try it – and that you love it!

Stew Beef Ingredients

Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Stew Beef recipe:

• Chuck roast: The cut you use is entirely up to you, and will affect how the Stew Beef turns out. I recommend using the leanest cut you can so you don’t have to skim oil off the liquid, or so the dish isn’t greasy, but that too is up to you. I’m not a fat/gelatin girl, so I prefer using top sirloin or bottom round for this. I like ’em as lean as possible.
• Beef broth, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce: I’ve also used water instead of broth and it turns out wonderfully. I make my own Homemade Onion Soup Mix and it really shines here. Feel free to use your favorite. Worcestershire further deepens the flavor.
• All-purpose flour: For thickening the Stew Beef. It’s optional, especially if you’re going to thicken it with cornstarch later.
• Seasoned salt, cracked black pepper, Kosher salt: Seasonings! My favorite.
• Vegetable oil: For searing the beef. A non-negotiable step! Any oil or fat will do.
• Cornstarch, cold water: For thickening. Take a look at the photos included with this post. The Stew Beef with pictured with the rice was thickened with a cornstarch slurry. The Stew Beef pictured with the potatoes was not, just reduced uncovered at the end.

How to Make Stew Beef

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Stew Beef recipe:

• In a large bowl toss your beef with the seasoned salt, Worcestershire, and onion soup mix. You want each piece of beef well seasoned. Once the beef is coated evenly, sprinkle in the flour. Toss to coat the beef in the flour, and set aside.
• Place a large saucepan or medium-sized dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add just enough vegetable oil to coat the surface of the pan, and allow it to preheat for 2-3 minutes.
• When the oil is shimmering, add in your beef pieces in a single row, leaving space between each one – crowd them together and the meat will steam instead of sear, and that’s no bueno. Sear the beef undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip to the opposite side, sear for one more minute, and remove from the pan. Continue, in batches, until all of the beef is seared, adding more oil as needed between each batch.
• Once all the beef is seared, add it back to the pot along with the beef broth, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Give it a taste, and add more salt if it seems bland.
• Bring the Stew Beef to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender.
• When you’re happy with the texture of the meat, decide on your finish. If you’d like a thicker gravy, go ahead and make the thickening slurry by combining the cornstarch and cold water together. Stir it into the Stew Beef, and return the lid to the pan. Cook for another 15 minutes, until the gravy has thickened.
• Alternatively, remove the lid from the Stew Beef and increase the heat to where the liquid is gently simmering – that’s medium on my stove. Allow the beef to cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced and thickened. It’s up to you how long you let it reduce. Don’t stir too much during this process, so the meat doesn’t shred.
• When you’re happy with how it looks, give it a taste and adjust for salt as needed. Dassit!

Obligatory Pinterest Graphics –

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