RECIPES

Soups and Stews
Classic Beef Stew

Classic Beef Stew
Stews
By: Jill Van Cleave

Online Rating: (9.5/10)

This old-fashioned beef stew has all the qualities of a timeless classic: rich taste, tender beef slow-cooked with fresh root vegetables, and a silky sauce. If prepared a day or two in advance, the flavors really blend and only improve.

1 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck, cubed (1 1/2 inches)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry red wine or tomato juice
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 cup frozen pearl onions
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large pot over medium-high heat until hot and butter is melted. Add beef in batches; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until browned on all sides, adding remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil between batches. Place in large bowl; stir in flour, salt and pepper.

2. Discard excess drippings from pot. Add wine; bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in beef and any accumulated juices and all remaining ingredients except peas and parsley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour.

3. Remove cover; simmer 30 minutes, adding peas during last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove bay leaf; sprinkle with parsley.

4 (1 1/2-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 520 calories, 27.5 g total fat (10 g saturated fat), 37 g protein, 29.5 g carbohydrate, 105 mg cholesterol, 410 mg sodium, 5.5 g fiber

MEMBER COMMENTS

jasbss

Location: vancouver, WA
Registered Guest

Posted:10/7/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

This recipe was SO good. I cut back just a hair on the wine, as it can be overpowering and I added a touch of soy sauce for a little more flavor. I also didn't have turnips, so I used potatoes. My husband LOVED this meal. He was astounded that I didn't use any brown gravy mix, as the consistency was perfect and that is something we always struggled with previously! I hope to have parsnips next time, as I have honestly never tried them, but the potatoes were GREAT anyway! This is definitely our new stew recipe! Thank you Jill Van Cleave!!

Comment Controls
Add CommentFlag as Inappropriate

lilgreenworm22

Location: livonia, MI
Life Member

Posted:10/13/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

I made this recipe using the red wine. It was so good my family was fighting over the leftovers.

Comment Controls
Add CommentFlag as Inappropriate

Cooking Question and Answer

How quickly after cooking should leftover soups and stews be refrigerated?

To keep food from reaching the danger zone—the temperature range where food is most likely to develop harmful bacteria (between 40°F. and 140°F.)—the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends refrigerating or freezing leftovers within two hours of cooking. Place food in uncovered shallow containers in the refrigerator for rapid cooling. Food cools even more quickly if you use thin metal containers instead of plastic or glass ones. (Contrary to popular belief, putting hot food directly into the refrigerator won’t harm the appliance. Don’t overload the fridge, however; you want to make sure there’s enough room for air to circulate.) Once the food is cool, cover it.

Recipe Photo
Classic Beef Stew 
Classic Beef Stew

spacer
spacer

spacer


Get Cooking Club's free FOOD NOW e-newsletter!
   
Footer HR
Receive a free preview issue
of Cooking Club magazine!
Start your 30-Day Free Trial
Cooking Club