Hearty Winter Beef Stew with Red Wine and Rosemary | Dutch Oven Beef Stew
A rich, savory, marinated beef stew with red wine that you start to cook on the stove and finish in the oven on low heat for a fork-tender, cozy winter beef stew you can enjoy throughout the cold weather season.
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lb Beef Stew Meat - cubed into larger 1 or 2 inch cubes
- 3 large Carrots - sliced
- 3 stalks Celery - sliced
- 6 Small Red Potatoes or petite potatoes - quartered
- 1 Large onion - diced
- 3 large cloves Fresh Garlic - finely minced
- 3 to 5 tbsp Olive Oil - for marinade, browning meat, plus more for cooking vegetables
- 3/4 to 1 cup All Purpose Flour - seasoned with pinches of salt and pepper - for dredging, plus more if you're using to thicken stew later
- 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt + Cracked Pepper - for marinade, plus more to season stew
- 1 carton Beef Stock or Beef Broth - 32 oz carton
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup Dry Red Wine - for marinading stew, plus another 1/4 cup or so to deglaze the pot after browning meat
- 3 strips Bacon - diced
- 2 to 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary - for tossing into marinade bag
Instructions
- Marinate Beef Stew Meat: In large ziplock bag, marinate the cubed beef pieces: sprinkle in 1 tsp of the minced garlic (reserve the rest). Now sprinkle in ½ tsp coarse sea salt plus ½ tsp cracked pepper, 2 whole sprigs of rosemary, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tbsp good fruity olive oil, 1 to 2 tbsp or so Worcestershire sauce. Seal the bag (letting some air out). Toss everything around in the bag so it coats the meat. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Set the bag in a bowl and let rest in the fridge to marinate, massaging occasionally to re-coat meat.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (Optional for flavor) dice your strips of bacon and add to a small bowl, set aside.
- Dredge the marinated beef cubes. Open the bag and toss out rosemary sprigs. Add meat to the flour mixture (about 1 cup of flour that's been tossed with a pinch of coarse salt + pepper) a handful at a time. I find doing this on wide flat plate with raised edges is easiest. If you're running out of flour, sprinkle in a little more and use until all the meat has been dipped and coated in flour mixture. Transfer dredged meat to a fresh clean bowl and discard any leftover dredging flour. Set the bowl with dredged meat right next to the stove near the dutch oven or large pot as you will need it readily. While the dutch oven heats over medium heat, add the bacon pieces to the pan and brown them. When finished browning, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a piece of paper towel.
- Add another tablespoon or so of olive oil to the juices left behind from the bacon and begin browning the beef stew meat on all sides. Pot should be hot over medium/medium high heat.-Brown the meat in batches. Don't add too much meat to the pot all at once or the pot will steam the meat instead of sizzle and brown it. Overcrowding the pot will cool it down too much and you won't get a golden brown finish to seal in the juices.-Add more oil as needed. Brown beef stew pieces on all sides until golden and remove from the pot, transferring to a clean wide plate or bowl.-Add oil as needed during browning process as you work in batches.
- Deglaze Pot and Add Stew Vegetables and Potatoes: Now, with the browned meat removed from the pan, deglaze your pot with about 1/4 cup of red wine (or stock), picking up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. -When most of the liquid is just about done reducing/cooking out, drizzle another tablespoon or so of olive oil and toss in diced carrot, onion, celery and potatoes. -Cook vegetables and stir around for 5 minutes then add the rest of the minced garlic and stir in. -Cook the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are beginning to soften and tenderize.
- Add Stew Meat Back To Pot and Add Cooking Liquid: Add browned stew meat and bacon bits back into the dutch oven or large pot and top everything off with a carton of beef stock or beef broth (adding as needed to just cover meat and vegetables in the pot). -Optionally, splash in a little more red wine, if desired. Season with little pinches of coarse salt + pepper. -Give it a gentle stir, cover with heavy tight-fitting lid and place in a preheated 300 degrees F oven until everything is softened and the meat is broken down and tender. About 3 hours or longer as needed for meat to completely break down and soften.
- Adjust Seasonings, Thicken The Stew If Needed: When meat is very soft, tender, and easily pierced/broken apart with a fork, it's finished cooking. If desired, add a cup or so of frozen peas and stir in. Let cook for 5 more minutes to heat peas through. -If you would like the stew thicker, ladle about 1 cup of the cooking liquid into a small bowl (or glass pyrex measuring cup) and whisk together with 2 to 3 tablespoons all purpose flour. Whisk to combine and add back to the pot. Stir in thoroughly. -Cover and cook until slightly more thickened as desired, about another 10 to 15 minutes or until desired thickness is reached. If thickening the stew, wait to add the frozen peas until after stew is thickened. -Taste it and adjust the seasoning/salt if needed.
- Serve hot with crusty French bread for dipping or ladle over fresh steamed rice or mashed potatoes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 23gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 413mgPotassium: 1130mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4583IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg
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