Description
A hearty and flavorful slow cooker beef stew featuring tender stew meat, carrots, potatoes, and peas in a rich broth enhanced with red wine, herbs, and butter. Perfect for a comforting meal with minimal hands-on cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 2 ½ pounds stew meat
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ cup flour
Cooking Fats
- 3-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, divided
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 cups yellow onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 cup frozen peas
Liquids and Flavorings
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon or merlot red wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- ¼ cup cold water (optional, for thickening)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
- 2-3 drops Gravy Master (optional, for richer color)
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat: Cut the stew meat into 1-inch cubes, discarding any large pieces of fat while keeping marbled fat intact for flavor. Season the meat evenly with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and toss to coat all pieces thoroughly.
- Brown the Meat: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated meat in batches, avoiding overcrowding, and brown each side for about 45 seconds. Add more olive oil if needed. Once browned, transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Reduce the skillet heat to medium and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Pour in a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits to enhance flavor. Transfer this onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Pour in the remaining ingredients including the remaining red wine, beef broth, beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, carrots, potatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary sprig. Mix gently to combine all ingredients.
- Slow Cook the Stew: Cook on low heat for 8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours until vegetables are tender and potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Add Peas and Finish Cooking: Stir in the frozen peas during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig before serving.
- Optional Thickening: To thicken the stew, mix ¼ cup cold water with 3 tablespoons cornstarch until smooth. Slowly stir the mixture into the stew and allow it to thicken while standing.
- Monter au Beurre: Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter to give the stew a smooth, velvety finish.
- Optional Color Enhancement: Add 2-3 drops of Gravy Master for a richer, darker color, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting slow cooker beef stew.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Best beef cuts for stew are chuck roasts, rump roasts, or bottom rounds for tender, flavorful meat.
- You can sear a whole roast before cutting into cubes to reduce moisture loss but seasoning surface area is minimized.
- For a red wine substitute, use an equal amount of beef broth or red grape juice with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar to retain acidity and tenderize the meat.
- For an Irish twist, replace wine with 1 cup extra stout Guinness and try pairing with corned beef and cabbage.
- The stovetop method involves reducing wine by half after searing and simmering for 1-2 hours until tender.
- When using the stovetop method, add peas in the last 10-15 minutes and optionally thicken with cornstarch and finish with cold butter as directed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
