Hearty Beef Stew

Even though it’s nearing the end of March, we are still having winter weather up here in Wyoming. I cannot think of a dish that is more comforting than hot bowl of beef stew. Oh, and the smell while it simmers away in the oven, it’s exquisite! I love to use my enamel coated Dutch oven for this dish; you start on the stovetop and then into the oven for a one pot meal. My family loves mushrooms, so I use a wonderful dry mix of gourmet mushrooms in my stew. You can add any other veggies that suit your fancy, like green beans or corn, but this is my go-to recipe. Let’s get started!

Hearty Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat - cut into smaller chunks. Stew meat is typically a tougher piece of meat, so smaller pieces are better.

1 cup red wine, use something you would drink

8 cups water

3 tbsp beef Better Than Bouillon

1/2 onion, diced

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups dried mushrooms, thoroughly rinsed, I use this mix - The Wild Mushroom Co. Gourmet Mix

1 cup carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal

1 - 28oz can crushed or petite diced tomatoes

5-6 potatoes, diced

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.Once you have cut the beef into smaller chunks, pat it dry with a paper towel and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add some oil to the Dutch oven, I like avocado oil, and in batches brown the meat well and set aside until all the beef is browned. Then add the wine to get all the yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add beef back in, along with the rest of the ingredients, except the potatoes, butter and flour. Simmer for at least 4 hours, and up to 6 hours. About an hour before you’re ready to serve the stew, add in the potatoes to simmer. At this point, be sure to taste your broth for seasoning and adjust accordingly. 15 minutes before serving, take Dutch oven out of oven and put on to simmer on the stove top. Make a roux with the butter and flour, cooking a couple of minutes to make sure the flour is well combined and therefore will not clump when added to the stew. Add to the beef stew and simmer for the last 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will thicken up the stew and give it a rich and silky mouthfeel. Serve with biscuits or a crusty bread for dunking. Enjoy!

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