Classic Beef Stew

Warm up on a cold day with this hearty recipe using our grass fed beef stew meat!

Recipe & photos contributed by Ada Smith

Ingredients

For the seasoning mixture:

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the stew:

2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil), plus additional as needed

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 cup diced white or yellow onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup medium to full-bodied red wine (like Cabernet, Zinfandel, or Merlot)

2 cups beef broth (more on hand is good in case you boil off moisture)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1 pound baby yellow or red potatoes, or a combination of both, halved or quartered

3 or 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup frozen peas, no need to thaw

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley (optional)

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Cut any large pieces of stew meat into smaller bite-size pieces, if necessary.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add about half of the meat to the pan, or as much as you can without overcrowding the pan. Sprinkle ~2 teaspoons of the spice mixture over the meat and sauté the beef until nicely browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a dish and set aside. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding additional oil if needed, and seasoning with 2 more teaspoons of the spice mixture. Reserve remaining spice mixture for later.

Add additional oil to pan if needed and add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Add the red wine and increase the heat under the pot to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, remaining spice mix and the bay leaf. Add the beef and all the juices that have accumulated back to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.

Add the potatoes and carrots and raise the heat under the pot to bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for another 30 to 40 minutes until the veggies are fork tender. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley.

Combine the water and cornstarch in a measuring cup or small bowl and stir it into the beef stew. Continue cooking, uncovered, until thickened.

Pour the rest of your wine into glasses (if you haven’t already) for drinking. Enjoy!

Recipe & photos contributed by Ada Smith