Southern Beef Stew
- 3 pounds trimmed boneless beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 large onions, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 cups dry red wine
- Two 14½-ounce cans beef broth
- 1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
- 1½ pounds baby red-skinned potatoes, quartered
- One 10-ounce package baby carrots, rinsed
- 1 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, stemmed, caps thickly sliced
- 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions:
It’s a great weekend recipe, when you’ve planned a day of projects around the house, because it requires only a bit of up-front work—then you get to enjoy the intoxicating smell of the stew as it simmers.
- Place the meat in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, toss the meat with the flour; add to the pot, and brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Mix in the tomato paste and then the red wine.
- Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the broth and sugar, then the browned beef and any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, 1½ hours, until the beef is very tender.
- Add the potatoes and carrots, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Add the mushrooms, mustard, and parsley; simmer until the mushrooms are tender, another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.