Slow-Simmered Beef Stew

My daughter was home sick with a cold recently, so I decided to combine two of her favorite comfort foods–mashed potatoes & beef stew. I prepared this slow-simmered beef stew recipe loaded with large chunks of beef and carrots, with a delicious sauce made from onion, garlic, wine, beef broth, and fresh herbs. I served this tasty, richly flavored beef stew alongside creamy mashed potatoes, a simple salad, and crusty bread, and it was a huge hit. We all decided we should always serve beef stew over buttery mashed potatoes from now on!

Slow-Simmered Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon, cut into small bits
• 2½ lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks & excess fat removed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 4½ cups beef broth
• 3 large carrots, peeled & cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

How to Make Slow-Simmered Beef Stew:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cook the bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through and the fat has rendered down. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the Dutch oven; set the remaining bacon grease aside.

Return the Dutch oven to the stove and turn it up to medium-high.

Pat the beef chunks dry, then season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Add half the meat to the HOT Dutch oven and cook until evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove the beef to a plate. Add the remaining beef to the Dutch oven and cook until evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove to the plate and cover loosely with a foil tent; set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 45 seconds.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Add the red wine and whisk until the mixture is well combined and reduced, about 2 minutes.

Add the beef broth, cooked beef chunks and their juices, and the carrot, celery, bacon crumbles, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Stir, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Remove the lid after 2 hours & 25 minutes and cook for 15-20 minutes to finish the beef and thicken the sauce.

Remove from the oven and skim off any fat from the surface.

Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Serve over creamy mashed potatoes (click the link for the recipe). Enjoy.