Beef Stew
If you’re looking for a warm and hearty meal, look no further! In this post, you are going to learn all the tricks for making the most delicious beef stew. If your husband (or wife) can’t keep their mouth shut about how amazing your beef stew is, we haven’t done our job.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons butter
2 pounds of stew meat, thawed
1 small onion
2 large carrots
3 medium potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons of garlic powder
1/2 Tablespoon basil
32 oz. (4 cups) bone broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-2 bay leaves
Prepare vegetables
Peel and dice onion, carrots, and potatoes.
Melt butter
Melt butter in a pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat.
Brown meat
Using the right size pot is the difference between gray, tasteless meat and savory, caramelized meat. Yes, it really is this simple. If your pan is too small and your stew meat sits in a pile, the heat rises from the pan and steams the meat. Steamed meat equals flavorless meat.
You know your pan is big enough when your stew meat fits across the bottom in one even layer. This is so important because when the meat touches the surface of the pan, it creates a reaction between the amino acids and natural sugars in the meat to caramelize and create a delicious flavor! You know your beef is ready to turn when the side touching the pan releases easily and is a rich brown color.
Add veggies and seasoning
After the beef has caramelized, add onion, carrots, potatoes, and all seasonings except bay leaf. Mix the meat, veggies, and seasonings together and let cook for about 3 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients
Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce (or red wine), and bay leaf. The latter two ingredients are just the extra touch you need to give your stew a deeper, richer flavor, making your stew better than all the others!
Let simmer
Finally, let your stew simmer at a low temp. for about two hours. This is important because it allows the tissue in the meat to break down fully, giving you the delicious and tender stew meat you love!
