Easy Beef Stew Recipe
Overview
There is nothing as comforting as a thick, hearty bowl of stew accompanied by a piece of fresh bread and butter. Beef stew is an essential American comfort food, but you will find different versions of it all over the world. Here's a particularly easy version for those days when you want a bowl of something warm and filling without spending hours in the kitchen.
Step 1
Prepare your vegetables: Bring a large pot of water to boil while you do the peeling and chopping. Peel and chop 1 pound of carrots. Peel and dice 1 large onion. Core and dice 2 green peppers. Peel and dice 2 medium potatoes (russet is best). When the water is boiling, add the carrots and potatoes. Bring the water back to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the onion and peppers, bring water back to a boil, and cook for another five to 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Remove from the water, drain and set aside.
Step 2
Prepare your beef: You will need a good cut of beef for quick beef stew, because it won't be cooking for the long amount of time necessary to make cheaper cuts tender. Cut the beef, from 1 to 2 pounds, into 1-inch cubes. Mix 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. But the beef in the egg mixture. In another large bowl or shallow pan, mix 1 cup of flour with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Move the beef from the egg mixture to the flour mixture, turning to coat on all side. Work in batches if needed.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan. Cook the beef in batches, about 3 minutes, until pink in the center. Remove from pan onto a plate lined with paper towels.
Step 3
Prepare your base: In a large pot, combine 48 ounces of beef broth with 14 ounces of canned, diced tomatoes (do not drain the tomatoes). Bring to a low simmer and add 1 tablespoon dried minced parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh), 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano.
Step 4
Combine your ingredients: Add the cooked vegetables to the broth base. Add the cooked beef to the broth base. Let the whole stew simmer on low for about five minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
skill
1
ingredient
1 pound carrots
1 large onion
2 green peppers
2 medium potatoes
2 pounds tender cut of beef, such as strip steak, strip loin or filet
2 eggs
4 tablespoons oil, divided
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
48 ounces beef broth
14 ounces canned, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
tip
If you have a lot of time but you just don't want something complicated, make the slow cooker version: Prepare your vegetables as in Step 1, but don't cook them in boiling water; instead, put them into your slow cooker. For the beef, use stew meat, which you can purchase already sliced in cubes. You can bread it and brown it, or just add it uncooked to the vegetables in the slow cooker. Pour all the base ingredients (broth, tomatoes and spices) over the vegetables and beef in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until vegetables and beef are tender. This is a great way to have yummy, hot beef stew waiting for you when you get home from work; just prepare all your vegetables the night before, put everything in the slow cooker in the morning before you leave, and let it cook until you get home.
keyword
beef stew easy kitchen comfort food soup
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