Dutch Oven Beef Stew (No Wine!)

I love sweater weather. And there’s almost nothing I love more than cozying up with a hearty Sunday dinner when the weather gets crisp. And beef stew is one of my favorite.

I’ve tried for years trying to replicate my mom’s beef stew. I struggled to develop the deep umami flavors I craved. Now that I’m a mom, I also don’t like to use wine when I make beef stew because I’m funny about feeding it to my kids. I also get nervous about it when I’m pregnant or nursing. I thought the reason I couldn’t get that mouth-watering depth of flavor was because I wouldn’t use wine–but let me tell you I was wrong.

I started reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (a great read for the curious home cook). My eyes were opened to the tools you have you can use to develop those savory flavors that we love from beef stew. And that inspired me to try again with the new tools in my tool belt. Instead of relying on wine, I added balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.

BAM!! My mind was blown. I definitely consider myself more as a baker than a cook, but I COULD NOT BELIEVE what I had made. It was next level flavor.

Growing up we always did beef stew in the crock pot–and you still can if you want! BUT, I recently invested in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, and now I understand the appeal. Doing beef stew in the Dutch Oven allows you to develop a depth of flavor that’s hard to achieve in a crock pot alone. This also helped me take my beef stew to another level. With an oven-safe cast-iron Dutch Oven, you can brown the beef and saute the onions all in the same pan, which means great flavor AND easy clean up! Beef stew in the Dutch Oven is truly the original one-pot dinner.

If you want to make beef stew in the crock pot because you want to set it and forget it or because you don’t have a Dutch oven, here’s how you can modify the recipe:

1. Follow all the instructions using a soup pot instead up until the point where you are ready to put the Dutch Oven.
2. Transfer the stew to a crock pot
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours

I recommend serving with some homemade biscuits or a really nice crusty bread. I have this Pumpkin biscuit recipe I like to use and I dump the biscuits right in my bowl. If you’re interested in a wine, this would pair great with a nice red, like a Pinor Noir.

Don’t let this recipe intimidate you–it’s really very easy and almost foolproof! Just make sure to follow all the steps and don’t cut corners. If you do, you will be “WOWing” your own family this Sunday night!

Need to pair with a great dessert? Go all-in on comfort food with a homemade Apple Pear Cranberry Crumb Pie.

Dutch Oven Beef Stew (No Wine!)

The perfect cozy Sunday Dinner; pairs great with some warm biscuits or a crusty bread.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Hands-On time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, French

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven Cast iron, oven-safe

Ingredients

  

• 1.5-3 lbs stew beef, 1-inch chunks patted dry
• 3 Tbs flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt divided
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper divided
• 2 small onions or 1 large
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 1.5 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2.5 Tbs tomato paste
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3-4 medium yukon gold (butter) potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 large sweet potato, cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 bag baby carrots about 2 cups
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions

 

• Season the beef with about 1 tsp kosher salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Let sit while you prep & cut the vegetables.

Brown the beef

• Place the seasoned beef in a gallon-size plastic bag. Dump the flour over the beef, seal the bag, and shake to coat the beef.
• Pre-heat the dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 Tbs olive oil.
• Add the flour-coated beef and sear about 3-4 minutes, until the beef develops a golden brown crust.
• Flip the beef over and sear the other side another 3 minutes until a crust develops.
• Remove the beef and place on a plate. Set aside.

Prepare the Stew

• While the pan is still on, drizzle another 1/2 Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté about 1 minute.
• Add the Balsamic Vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pan. Add a Tbs or two of the beef broth if needed to loosen up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Continue to cook the onions another 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften.
• Add the Tomato Paste and stir, cooking another 30-60 seconds.
• Add the beef back to the pan along with the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots along with the rosemary and thyme.
• Add the remaining beef broth to the pot along with 1 tsp of kosher salt and a 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
• Continue to cook until you bring the stew to a boil.
• While you're waiting for the stew to boil, pre-heat the oven to 325°F.

Cook Stew in Oven

• Once the stew has reached a boil, cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place the whole put in the oven.
• Let bake for 2 hours.
• Remove the Dutch oven and add the frozen peas. Give the pot a gentle stir, replace the lid, and put the pot back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
• Remove the Dutch oven, ladle into bowls, and serve! I recommend serving with biscuits or rolls.

Keyword cozy, dinner, fall, family dinner recipe, family-friendly, soup, sunday, winter