Oven-Braised Beef Stew
Beef, and a lot of it. That was my #1 goal. There is lots of protein and flavor in chunks of beef. And this is one of those stews that gets better overnight, and even day two is amazing!
Feel free to pack in more vegetables. Others you can add are green beans, celery, mushrooms, and/or a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes. If you do add more veggies, you may need to add more liquid (beef stock), too, so they are just submerged.
This is a non-alcoholic recipe. Many beef stew recipes call for red wine or ale, etc., but this recipe does not. The worcestershire sauce and balsamic add a bit of acidity that would come with adding wine. You don’t really taste the acid, but it balances out all the flavors.
Big note here… be mindful of how much salt you’re adding to the dish. Some premade beef stocks contain more salt than others; keep that in mind as you add a pinch here and there. I used Swanson’s Beef Stock which was not low-sodium. You cannot just “taste as you go” with this recipe because you are dealing with raw beef. The nutrition chart calculates for an added 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
Enjoy!
Oven-Braised Beef Stew
Equipment
- Oven-safe braiser with lid
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces
- neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, etc.)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minded
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 6 - 8 cups beef stock (or broth or bone broth), divided
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 10 ounces pearl onions, see Notes
- 3 cups carrots, sliced 3/4" thick
- 3 cups potatoes, cut 3/4" dice, see Notes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- crusty baguette, for serving, optional, but so good to soak up the stew's liquid
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a braiser that is oven-safe.
- Cooking in batches, sear the pieces of beef on all sides. Remove the pieces to a bowl as each batch gets a good sear. Add another tablespoon of oil to the braiser and repeat searing.
- Once all the beef has been seared, add the garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it has darkened in color.
- Add the Worcestershire and balsamic, 5 cups of the stock, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir well.
- Add the beef and any juices collected in the bowl into the braiser. Stir.
- Place the lid on the braiser and put in the oven for 2 hours.
- Remove the braiser from the oven. Add the peas, onions, carrots, and potatoes.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix 1 cup of the beef stock and the cornstarch until the starch is dissolved. Add to the stew and stir well.
- Place the lid on the braiser and put it back in the oven for 1 more hour.
- Remove the braiser from the oven and check the carrots and potatoes for doneness and the liquid for thickening. If the vegetables require more time, cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the stew from the oven, stir, taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
- Top with parsley and serve very warm with toasted baguette slices.
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