Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

My aunt, uncle and two little cousins from Toronto made a stop at our place to have lunch with us before heading out to Mt. Sutton for skiing, about an hour and half of drive from Montreal. Knowing that they were coming, I already knew what to make: a hearty and comfy beef stew. Who wouldn't crave for a stew before the cold weather ends?

This stew is old-fashioned, nothing fancy with unusual spices and flavours. It is just your typical, hearty beef stew loaded with lots of vegetables and a generous amount of red wine to give a good depth of flavour. After tasting the stew, we were blown away of all the flavours that came out beautifully together. This stew has officially become one of our favourite dishes to make on the weekends.

The meal would not be complete without desserts, so I did my #3 signature dessert, a refreshing minty berry medley. This is simply a mix of berries tossed in a lemon-mint syrup, which will make your guests' taste buds crave for more! Results guaranteed. For those who are new to my blog, I made this dessert almost two years ago, click on the image below for the recipe.

Serves 8
Inspired from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food and Chef at Home
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: about 3 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs stewing beef
3 carrots, cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp rosemary, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Procedure

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook half of the stewing beef until all sides are brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside. Repeat process with the remaining ones.

2. Add in carrots, celery and onion and cook until onions are transparent, about 5 mins.

3. Add in garlic and sprinkle vegetables with flour. Cook for 1 min. Stir oftenly.

4.  Gradually stir in beef stock and red wine. Stir in tomato paste, parsley, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.

5. Return browned beef to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

6. Stir in potatoes. Add more stock if necessary. Cook until both the meat and potatoes are tender, about 45 mins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.