Braised Beef Stew
Braised Beef Stew
This rich, meaty stew is perfect as the weather cools. It tastes even better the second day, so it's a great dish to make on Sunday and enjoy later in the week.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs or beef stew meat
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bulb fennel
- 1 large Onion
- 4 large carrots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
- Cut the boneless beef short ribs (or stew meat) into about 1 inch chunks and sprinkle with the 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. If you can find short ribs, they lend an extra richness to this dish, but stew meat works beautifully too
- Cut the fennel bulb into a dice - I usually cut it into slices first and then into a medium dice.
- Peel and cut the onion and carrots into a medium dice
- Chop the garlic into a small dice
- Tie the rosemary and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine and set aside
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot to medium hot
- Add the beef pieces in a single layer to the pot
- Sear the beef until it is brown on all sides. It does not need to be cooked through
- Remove the beef from the pot and set aside
- Drizzle the other tbsp of olive oil to the pot and add the onions, carrots and fennel. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften about 15 minutes
- Add the chopped garlic (and if you are using dried rosemary & thyme) and cook for 30 seconds
- Add the tomato paste to the pot and mix well
- Add the 2 cups of wine and stir to combine. Use tongs or a wooden spoon to scrape up the browed bits of meat. (the fancy name for this is deglazing the pan - mostly is just means extra flavor!)
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the wine has reduced by half - about 10 minutes
- Add the 2 cups of chicken stock, the rosemary/thyme bundle (if using) and the beef with any juices to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 2 hours
- Take the pot out of the oven. Remove the rosemary/thyme bundle and take the beef pieces out with a slotted spoon. (your kitchen will smell amazing, by the way)
- Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and boil until the sauce has reduced by about half and thickened.
- Add the beef back to the pot, taste and adjust the seasonings
- Serve with your favorite bread (gluten free for me!). This stew tastes even better the second or third day. I usually make this on a Sunday and save it for a fabulous, quick weeknight meal.
