Description
This hearty Red Wine Beef Stew is a comforting main course perfect for cozy dinners. Tender stew meat simmers slowly with aromatic vegetables, red wine, and herbs, creating a rich and flavorful dish with a thickened sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 2 pounds stew meat
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large sweet onion (chopped, about 2 cups)
- 4 carrots (sliced, about 3 cups)
- 2 stalks celery (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Liquids and Herbs
- 1 cup beef stock
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
Thickener
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Season the stew meat with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until browned. Remove the beef from the pot and let it rest while you prepare the vegetables.
- Sauté the veggies: Add chopped onion, sliced carrots, celery, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, then stir in the tomato paste to coat the veggies and help deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Simmer the stew: Return the browned meat to the pot. Pour in the red wine and beef stock, then add dried thyme, fresh rosemary sprig, and bay leaves. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.
- Cook until tender: Let the stew simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes or longer, allowing the meat to break down and become tender, and the flavors to develop fully. Do not rush this step for best results.
- Thicken the sauce: Whisk together the flour (or cornstarch) with water until smooth. Increase heat to medium and stir this mixture into the stew. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens to a rich, hearty consistency.
- Finish and serve: Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves before serving. Enjoy the stew hot.
Notes
- For a gluten free version, use cornstarch instead of flour and verify that your beef stock is gluten free.
- To deepen flavor, consider browning the vegetables a bit more before adding liquids.
- You can substitute the red wine with additional beef stock if preferred.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors meld further.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
