Perfected Beef Stew
The secret ingredients and techniques for incredible beef stew
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the Stew Base
- 3 pounds beef chuck cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrots diced (first batch for flavor)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce)
- 1 cup red wine (preferably dry, like Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried mushroom powder optional
- 1 small star anise point (just one arm of the star)
Bouquet Garni - Tied in cheesecloth or bundled with kitchen twine
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 sprig rosemary
For Later Addition
- 3 large carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 parsnips cut into 1-inch chunks
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms quartered
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (for finishing)
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Day 1. Building the Base
- Prepare the meat: Pat beef chunks completely dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Brown in batches: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in small batches (about 1/3 of the meat at a time), sear the beef until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- First deglaze: Pour about 1/4 cup of the red wine into the hot pot, scraping up the fond (browned bits) with a wooden spoon. Pour this liquid over the reserved meat.
- Sauté aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pot, then add onions, celery, and first batch of diced carrots with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Build umami base: Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and anchovy paste, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until paste darkens and caramelizes slightly.
- Second deglaze: Add remaining red wine, scraping up any new fond. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Combine and simmer: Return meat with its juices to the pot. Add beef stock, soy sauce, mushroom powder, and star anise point. Add the bouquet garni. Bring to a bare simmer, then reduce heat to low.
- Low and slow cook: Cover and maintain at lowest possible simmer for 2 hours, checking occasionally. The meat should be starting to become tender.
- Rest overnight: Let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight in the pot.
Day 2: Finishing the Stew
- Remove fat: Skim any solidified fat from the surface of the stew.
- Begin reheating: Bring stew back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Add fresh vegetables: Add carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, and potatoes. Simmer gently until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 30-40 minutes.
- Final touches: Remove and discard bouquet garni and star anise. Stir in red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
The overnight rest is crucial for flavor development
If you don't have mushroom powder, grind dried porcini mushrooms in a spice grinder
For even more richness, add 1-2 tablespoons of bone marrow during the last 30 minutes of cooking
Stew will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days, and the flavor continues to improve
This recipe incorporates all the secret techniques: proper browning, double deglazing, low-and-slow cooking, two-stage vegetable addition, overnight rest, bouquet garni, and final acid balance—along with the umami-rich secret ingredients.