Loaf and PsalmA journal from an improving homemaker

Sunday Table · Autumn and winter

Dutch Oven Beef Stew

Chuck, seared, then simmered. The potatoes go in late so they stay in pieces.

2 hours 45 minutes · Serves 6 · About 8 cups

A bowl of beef stew with carrots and potatoes

“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

Psalm 145:16

Ingredients

  • 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 and a half inch cubes
  • 1 ½ tsp fine salt, plus more at the end
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp tallow
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, cut into coins
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 ½ lb potatoes, cut into chunks

Method

Making Dutch Oven Beef Stew: Pat the beef dry. Toss it with the salt, pepper, and flour. Heat the tallow in a Dutch oven over…
Pat the beef dry. Toss it with the salt, pepper, and flour. Heat the tallow in a Dutch oven over…
Making Dutch Oven Beef Stew: Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook on low, or in a 300°F oven, for 1 and a half hours. Add the…
Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook on low, or in a 300°F oven, for 1 and a half hours. Add the…
  1. 1

    Pat the beef dry. Toss it with the salt, pepper, and flour. Heat the tallow in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear the beef in two batches until browned. Do not crowd the pot, or it steams. Lift the beef out.

  2. 2

    Lower the heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery in the fat for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Return the beef. Add the broth, bay, and thyme. The meat should be just covered.

  3. 3

    Bring it to a simmer, cover, and cook on low, or in a 300°F oven, for 1 and a half hours. Add the potatoes. Cook 40 minutes more, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.

  4. 4

    Taste the broth and add salt if it needs it. Remove the bay leaves. If the stew is thin, simmer it uncovered 10 minutes. If it is thick, add a splash of broth.

From the kitchen

  • The flour on the beef is the thickener. Do not add a second thickener unless the stew is still thin at the end.
  • A hard boil breaks the meat into strings. A quiet simmer is what you want.

My note

Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.

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