Description
This hearty Red Wine Beef Stew is a classic comfort dish featuring tender chunks of beef chuck slow-cooked with aromatic herbs, rich red wine, and a medley of vegetables. Slow-baked in the oven to develop deep flavors, it is topped with a savory mixture of bacon, pearl onions, carrots, and mushrooms, delivering a perfectly balanced and satisfying meal ideal for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Stew
- 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch chunks
- 2 onions, diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine (such as Syrah or Zinfandel)
- 3 cups beef stock
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch coins
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Topping
- 1 cup pearl onions (or cipollini onions)
- 2-3 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 2 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch lardons
- Olive oil (optional, if needed)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for slow cooking the stew.
- Season Beef: Season the beef chunks generously with kosher salt and set aside to absorb the seasoning.
- Sauté Onions: In a Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, season with kosher salt, and cook while stirring frequently until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.
- Add Tomato Paste and Garlic: Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic, cooking constantly for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns a rust color.
- Incorporate Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook while stirring for 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Add Liquids: Slowly whisk in the beef stock followed by the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon for extra flavor.
- Add Herbs and Simmer: Add fresh thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
- Combine Beef and Simmer Again: Stir in the seasoned beef pieces, arranging some so they are partly above the liquid. Return to a simmer on the stovetop.
- Oven Cook Part 1: Transfer the Dutch oven, uncovered, to the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes until beef starts to become tender.
- Add Vegetables: Remove the pot from the oven. Scrape down any browned bits on the sides. Add the cubed potatoes and sliced carrots to the stew. Stir gently and rearrange the meat on top so it remains partially above the liquid for browning.
- Oven Cook Part 2: Return the pot uncovered to the oven and cook for an additional hour or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Prepare Topping – Simmer Bacon and Vegetables: In a medium sauté pan, add enough water to cover the bottom and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces, cover, and cook until boiling.
- Add Onions and Carrots: Remove the lid from the pan and add pearl onions and carrot pieces. Cook, stirring often, until the water evaporates.
- Add Mushrooms and Brown: Season lightly with salt, add the mushrooms, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook while stirring frequently until the vegetables are nicely browned, about 20-30 minutes. Add olive oil if the bacon hasn’t rendered enough fat to coat the vegetables.
- Finish Stew: Remove the stew from the oven, stir well and scrape down the browned bits on the sides back into the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Spoon the stew into bowls, top with the sautéed vegetable and bacon mixture, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use a good quality dry red wine like Syrah or Zinfandel for best flavor.
- The browning of onions and meat adds depth of flavor, so be patient during sautéing.
- Arranging meat partly above the liquid helps it brown and develop a better texture.
- You can substitute pearl onions with cipollini onions if needed.
- Leftover stew tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
- Serve with crusty bread or mashed potatoes to soak up the rich sauce.
