Beef Stew - Stovetop and Slow Cooker Recipes

This is one of the few ways that I can get my daughter to eat beef which, of course, is my husband's favorite protein.  There are a lot of different cuts of beef that can be used for stew meat so you should test out and find your favorite.  We have a number of local butchers and I have one that I will go to for stew meat because the cut turns out the most tender and retains it's moisture. I am posting the method to make this on the stove and in a slow cooker.  I have to confess, I almost never have time in the morning to bust out the slow cooker but I love to use this method when I know I have something to do in the evening and still have to make dinner.  You just have to plan ahead.

Ingredients:

1 lb stew meat cubed into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced into half moons

3 celery stalks chopped

2 whole cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled

3 oz tomato paste

4 cups beef broth

1 cup dry red wine

3 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias or half a bag of baby carrots

2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut on the bias

1 bay leaf

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

Cornstarch

Egg noodles or mashed potatoes

For the stove top:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Brown the stew meat on all sides in batches (do not over crowd the pot) and remove pieces to a plate until all meat is browned.  Browning the meat properly helps to keep it from becoming dry during the cooking process.  Add onions, celery and garlic to the pan and stir until vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in tomato paste and stir to cook, about 2 minutes.  The paste should deepen in color but take care not to burn it.  Add in wine and cook, reducing by half about another 3 minutes (should form a thick paste).  Add in the broth, remaining vegetables, bay leaf and salt & pepper to taste (remember you can always add more later).  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.  

About 10 minutes before the stew has cooked for 1 hours, preheat the oven to 400.  Put the stew in the oven and bake for one more hour with the top off to reduce the liquid and caramelize the sugars in the pot.  Remove the pot from the oven and put back on the stove top.  Make a cornstarch slurry and add it to the pot and bring back to a simmer to thicken.  Add more as needed until you have the desired consistency.  Serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

For the slow cooker:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Brown the stew meat on all sides in batches (do not over crowd the pot) and remove pieces to the cold slow cooker until all meat is browned.  Browning the meat properly helps to keep it from becoming dry during the cooking process.  Add onions, celery and garlic to the pan and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in tomato paste and stir to cook, about 2 minutes.  The paste should deepen in color but take care not to burn it.  Add in wine and cook, reducing by half about another 3 minutes (should form a thick paste). Add into the slow cooker the broth, remaining vegetables, bay leaf and salt & pepper to taste (remember you can always add more later). Cover and set the cooker to high for at least 6 hours (I have let it go for 7 1/2).  About a half an hour before serving, add the cornstarch slurry and make sure the slow cooker is set to high.  Cook 30 more minutes until thickened and serve. Serve over cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.