Brad’s Beef Stew

Like most good stews, this one rewards patience: brown the meat well, don’t crowd the pan, and give it time in the oven. Make it a day ahead if you can.

• 2 lbs beef chuck stew meat cubed (precut in the meat department)
• 6-10 beef bones (precut in the meat department)
• Montreal Steak seasoning (McCormick in the spice section)
• 1/4 cup flour – King Arthur All-purpose gluten free
• 1 large yellow onion – peeled and quartered
• 5 cloves of garlic – peeled
• 64 oz beef broth (Kettle & Fire or homemade)
• 1 bottle red wine (something you would drink)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• thyme – 8 fresh sprigs
• rosemary – 4 fresh stems
• sage – 10 fresh leaves
• bay leaves – 2 fresh
• 1 lb large carrots – peeled and cut thick on the diagonal
• 12 – 15 small yukon gold potatoes – washed with skin left on
• 1 cup whole portabella mushrooms – brushed clean with a paper towel and stems removed
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• olive oil – enough
• butter – 2 tbs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Bring the meat and bones to room temperature and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a large freezer bag, combine the gluten-free flour with the Montreal steak seasoning. Add the stew meat, seal the bag, and shake gently until the beef is lightly coated.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Brown the beef bones on all sides, then remove and set aside.

Brown the meat in 2 or 3 batches leaving space between the pieces so the meat browns instead of steams. Add oil as needed while browning meat. Transfer the browned beef to the plate with the bones.

Sauté onion and garlic. Return stew meat, bones, and liquid from the bowl back to the Dutch oven. Add beef broth, red wine, tomato paste and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil and then simmer 15 minutes, skim.

Transfer the Dutch oven, covered, to the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour.

Then add carrots, potatoes and brown sugar and cook for an additional 1 hour.

Add the mushrooms for the final hour of cooking (3 hours total). Remove the bay leaves, thyme stems and bones, before serving, making sure any loosened marrow remains in the stew.

This stew is even better the next day. Cool completely, refrigerate overnight and reheat gently in the Dutch oven.

Pantry Note

I keep a few inexpensive bottles of red and white wine in the pantry just for cooking. There are many good wines for under $10 – but always cook with something you would enjoy drinking. If it doesn’t taste good in the glass, it wont taste good in the pan.