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The Best Homemade Beef Stew Recipe
Spoon up a bowl, pour a glass of wine and cozy up with this hearty, simple-to-prepare stew. Beef stews are versatile meals for all occasions. La Crema Chef Tracey Shepos like to go rustic and bring out the stew in the cooking pot for a “family style” supper.
Chef Tracey mentions an additional benefit: “While cooking, the cinnamon stick absolutely fills your house with this amazing aroma.”
Enjoy with La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The cooler climate Pinot Noirs result in more complex flavor, which is exactly what you’ll want to pair with this rich and flavorful stew. Oh, and make sure you have plenty of croutons on hand … they will go fast!
Why You’ll Love This Cozy Beef Stew
This stew is the ultimate comfort food, combining hearty ingredients with rich, complex flavors. It’s perfect for chilly evenings, family gatherings, or even a festive occasion like Halloween. The best part? While it tastes like you’ve been cooking all day, the oven does most of the work for you. Just imagine the aroma of cinnamon and spices filling your home as it simmers away—pure magic!
Tips for Making the Best Beef Stew at Home
Want to take your stew to the next level? These pro tips will help you create a dish that’s restaurant-worthy:
- Brown the Beef: Sear the meat in batches to lock in flavor and create a rich base.
- Deglaze with Wine: Scrape up those browned bits for maximum depth.
- Skim the Fat: After braising, remove excess fat for a cleaner, more balanced stew.
- Don’t Rush the Barley: Let it simmer until perfectly tender for the best texture.
Follow these steps, and your stew will be the star of the table!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need for Beef Stew
The secret to a great beef stew lies in the quality of its ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to create a dish that’s bursting with flavor:
- Beef Chuck: Opt for boneless, lean cuts for tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites.
- Pearl Barley: Adds a nutty texture and heartiness to the stew.
- Root Vegetables: Carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga bring natural sweetness and depth.
- Aromatic spices, including bay leaf, star anise, and cinnamon stick, elevate the flavor profile.
- Dry Red Wine: A key ingredient for deglazing and building richness.
Beef Stew with Gruyere Croutons Recipe
Author: La Crema Culinary Team
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried pearl barley
- 3 lbs. boneless lean beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 carrot, quartered
- 2 celery stalks, cut into quarters
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick (1-inch in length)
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 2½ cups dry red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1½ cups water
- 2 parsnips, peeled, halved and cut on a bias about ½-inch thick
- 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into wedges ½-inch thick
- 1 baguette, cut into slices about ½-inch thick
- 1 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- In a medium size bowl, add barley and cover with cold water. Set aside.
- Heat an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan and brown meat on all sides (do this in 2 to 3 batches to ensure even browning). Transfer meat to a bowl.
- Once all the meat has cooked, reduce the heat to medium. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until well roasted, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook and stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes. Add bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon stick, thyme and a pinch of salt. Add wine and reduce by half. Add broth, water, meat and any juices in the bowl back into the braising pot. Bring to a simmer and skim any foam that collects on the surface. Cover and place in oven for 1 hour or until meat is very tender.
- Remove braising pot from oven. Set a colander into a large bowl. Carefully pour stew into colander. Return the meat back into the braising pot. Allow liquid to stand for 5 minutes, so the fat separates from the braising liquid. Use a ladle to remove the fat from braising liquid. Return the braising liquid back to the pot.
- Drain and rinse barley. Add barley, parsnips and rutabaga to pot and bring to a simmer on the stovetop. Place pot back in the oven for 35 minutes. The stew is done when the barley is soft. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Place bread slices on baking sheet and top with cheese. Bake in the oven until cheese has melted and starts to brown. Arrange toasts on a platter and serve stew at the table.
Wine Pairing: Beef Stew with Pinot Noir
A rich, hearty stew deserves an equally complex wine. Enter La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Its cooler climate origins result in a wine with bright acidity and layered flavors of red fruit and earthy undertones—an ideal match for the stew’s savory richness. The wine’s subtle spice notes also complement the cinnamon and star anise in the dish. Pour a glass, serve the stew, and let the pairing elevate your dining experience.
La Crema boasts a wide portfolio of top-rated Pinot Noirs, each crafted to highlight the unique characteristics of its region. Whether you prefer a bright, fruit-forward style or a more complex, earthy profile, there’s a La Crema Pinot Noir to suit your taste.
