Stew is probably my favorite meal to cook. It’s not quick, but the process requires only real, whole foods, a little know-how, and lots of love. Creating a great stew is like painting a picture, layer upon layer, to make the finished dish flavorful and complex; truly a masterpiece.
This beef stew is full of earthy, warming, stew-y flavors. It’s quite hearty, and makes for perfect comfort food on a cold, blustery day.
Paleo Beef Stew
Recipe Type: Main
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
- chuck roast – 3 pounds
- butter or ghee – 1/4 cup
- onion – 1, chopped
- carrots – 3, sliced
- celery – 3 ribs, sliced
- garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- beef broth – 4 cups
- water – 3 cups
- dry red wine – 1/2 cup
- potatoes – 2 cups cubed
- sweet potatoes – 1-1/2 cups cubed
- canned tomatoes – 28 oz., optional
- mushrooms – 12 oz., sliced
Instructions
- Start by cutting up all the veggies and setting them aside. Cube the meat: use a very sharp carving knife to cut the meat against the grain in thick slices, then cut the slices into cubes. I recommend not discarding the bone; keep it and sear it with the meat. Heat up a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon butter, and allow to melt and get nice and hot. (Just don’t let it burn.) Add 1/4 of the meat (don’t crowd the pan). I recommend searing bone as well. Let cook until the meat easily releases from the pan. Brown the same way on the other sides of the meat. Remove the meat to a plate and repeat the searing process with all of the meat, adding more butter or ghee as needed. Make sure the beef cubes have a brown crust on them. Add another tablespoon or so of butter to the pan and saute the onions, celery, and carrots until the onions are tender. Add in the garlic and saute just a minute or two. Add the meat back to the pan, along with the seared bone and any accumulated juices from the plate. Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping to release browned bits from the bottom of the pan (browned bits = flavor). Stir in the water, wine, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Some grey, scummy stuff may rise to the top as a result of this initial boil. This scum is just the impurities from the meat. Simply skim off the icky layer. Reduce heat and let the stew cook at a really low simmer for 4-6 hours or so, or until the meat is meltingly tender. Add the canned tomatoes after 3 hours. Add the mushrooms and let simmer for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
