Classic French Beef Stew (Printer-Friendly Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 -
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 -
3 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 1½ to 2-inch chunks
→ Vegetables
03 -
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
04 -
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp)
05 -
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
06 -
8 oz. cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, halved if small, sliced thick if larger
07 -
8 oz. pearl onions, peeled
→ Pantry Items
08 -
2 Tbsp tomato paste
09 -
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
10 -
2½ cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Côtes du Rhône
11 -
2 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
12 -
1 Tbsp soy sauce
13 -
2 Tbsp olive oil
14 -
Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Fresh Herbs
15 -
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
16 -
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
17 -
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
18 -
1 bay leaf
# Let's Cook!:
01 -
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
02 -
Spray an oven safe pot or braiser with non-stick cooking spray, add bacon and cook over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is golden brown and just crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain and reserve fat in pot. Keep bacon in fridge.
03 -
Working with half the chuck roast, dab it dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Return pot to medium heat. Add half the chuck roast pieces and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining half.
04 -
In now empty pot return to medium heat, add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and saute 1 minute. Add flour and saute 1 minute.
05 -
Pour in red wine while scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour in broth and soy sauce. Add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf.
06 -
Return beef to pot, add carrots. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cover with lid then transfer to oven. Bake until chuck roast pieces are tender, stirring once halfway through, for about 2 hours.
07 -
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and saute for about 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
08 -
Add mushroom and onion mixture, plus the bacon to the beef stew mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste as needed.
09 -
Garnish servings with fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or fresh bread if desired.
# Recipe Notes:
01 -
Look for a chuck roast marbled with thin weaves of fat throughout the beef. Avoid those with many large chunks of fat as you'll have to cut off and discard that fat.
02 -
To peel fresh pearl onions, drop in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain then cool. Cut root ends and squeeze onion downward to remove. Frozen pearl onions may also be used.