I am always on the hunt for another good beef stew recipe, and this one hits the mark! We have had a particularly cold winter, even getting snow twice. It was a wonderful change of pace, and it allowed me to experiment with more soups and stews. It was fabulous!
I know I have a fun, classic beef stew recipe that is wonderful and hearty. This one is like the adult version with a rich red wine based sauce that creates a deeper flavor. I used veggies that I love and my family will enjoy, but there’s a lot of other veggies that could go in here. Mushrooms, baby potatoes, sweet corn, and other things like that would be quite tasty additions.
I usually like to serve my stew over a yummy potato mash. Delicious! Versatile recipes with lots of flexibility are my faves! Have fun with it.
Saucy Red Wine Beef Stew
1 lb stew meat
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp salt and pepper
3 Tbs EVOO
½ medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped in 1 inch pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped in 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
½c to 1c Dry Red Wine
2c to 2 ½c beef broth
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried thyme, black pepper
1 tsp salt, more if needed
1c frozen green peas
Using a cast iron pot (or another pot that is oven safe) heat 2 Tbs olive oil. Before it starts smoking, add the onions, carrots, and celery. While that browns and softens, place your stew meat in a bowl, add salt and pepper, and flour. Mix it to make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly coated. Once onions are translucent and carrots and celery are softened, add the minced garlic. Let it cook for about a minute and then remove it and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil and heat up to a smoke. Sear the meat, but don’t cook all the way through. Do this in batches if it’s too much for your pot at once; that will ensure a nice sear on all the meat. Once the meat is seared, add ½c red wine to the meat and bring it to a boil. Scrape up the bits in the pan; it will add to the flavor. Add a little more wine if desired, and then add the veggie mix back to the pot. Finally, add 2 to 2 ½ c beef broth, depending on how liquid you like your stew.
Cover the pot leaving a slight crack for breathing and place it in the oven at 325 for 1 ½ to 2 hours. When the meat is tender and veggies are soft, pull the pot from the oven and immediately add the frozen peas. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
