Sunday Best Beef Stew

How This Beef Stew Recipe Builds Flavor

The rich, savory flavor in this beef stew does not come from one special ingredient. It is built layer by layer through six deliberate steps:

Season → Dredge → Sear → Sauté → Deglaze → Simmer

• SEASON. Patting the beef dry prepares its surface for browning, while seasoning it with salt begins building flavor from the very first step.
• DREDGE. A light coating of Wondra flour browns along with the beef and later thickens the reducing stock into a smooth gravy.
• SEAR. Browning the beef creates complex savory flavor through the Maillard reaction and leaves flavorful browned bits in the pan.
• SAUTÉ. Cooking the onion in the beef drippings and briefly cooking the tomato paste mixture adds another layer of flavor.
• DEGLAZE. Adding stock and scraping the pan releases the browned bits, called fond, so their concentrated flavor becomes part of the gravy.
• SIMMER. A long, gentle simmer tenderizes the beef and melds the ingredients, while the partially covered pan allows the stock to reduce, concentrating its flavors.

You'll see this same foundational sequence used in recipes like Italian Meat Sauce and Slow Cooker Barbecue Chuck Roast, where browning the meat and sautéing the onion build flavor before the long, slow cook.

Ingredient Notes

Here's everything you'll need to make this Sunday Best Beef Stew. Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

• Beef Stew Meat - Chuck is the best choice for this stew because its connective tissue becomes tender during long, slow cooking. You can cut a chuck roast into ¾- to 1-inch cubes or purchase packaged stew meat and cut any unusually large pieces smaller. Packaged stew meat may contain more than one cut of beef.
• Salt - I use plain iodized salt from the round blue box.
• Wondra Flour - This special sauce and gravy flour will make a smooth gravy. You can also use all-purpose flour if you don't have Wondra on hand.
• Safflower Oil - I prefer safflower oil, which has a high smoke point and lets me get a good sear on the beef. But you can use any neutral-flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point.
• Yellow Onion - One large sweet yellow onion is all you need. I like to use Vidalia or Maui onions, but any type of yellow onion will have a sweet, mild flavor.
• Brown Sugar - This gives the gravy caramel notes that go very well with the beef. You only need a little, and you can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Tomato Paste - Tomato paste contributes concentrated tomato flavor, color, and subtle acidity to the gravy.
• Worcestershire Sauce - One word... Umami. Worcestershire sauce brings that "something extra" that makes the stew gravy delicious.
• Bay Leaf - A dried bay leaf is what is added to most stewed and braised beef dishes. This herb pairs well with beef.
• Beef Stock - I prefer to control the amount of salt and add salt to my taste. So I prefer to use a "No Salt Added" or "Low Sodium" beef stock.
• Black Pepper (Optional) - Freshly ground black pepper has a fuller, more aromatic flavor than preground pepper. It is entirely optional in this stew.

• Small Golden Potatoes - The best potatoes for beef stew are new potatoes. Fresh, small golden potatoes are my favorite. But you can also use other new potato varieties like red or white. Save your russet potatoes for baking as they will break down too much and not hold their shape when cooked in a stew.
• Carrots - Use fresh carrots that are peeled or scraped and then cut into large 1-inch chunks. This makes a very hearty stew.
• Celery - Clean the celery well and cut it in 1-inch pieces. It adds a bright flavor to the stew.

How to Make Sunday Best Beef Stew

♡ So, let's cook!

1. Step 1 - Dry and Dredge the Beef. Remove the beef from the packaging and dry it well with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Drying the meat is essential for achieving deep browning when the meat is seared. Cut any unusually large pieces into ¾- to 1-inch cubes so the beef cooks evenly. Sprinkle the meat with salt and Wondra Flour, coating all sides. Shake off excess flour.

2. Step 2 - Brown the Beef and Onion. In a 6 to 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot or deep pan, heat about half of the oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the beef in a single, uncrowded layer. Brown the beef in batches, turning the pieces to brown all sides and adding more oil as needed between batches. Transfer each browned batch to a plate. Set the browned beef aside for later.

Add the onion wedges to the remaining oil and beef drippings, adding a little more oil only if the pan is dry. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned and translucent.

3. Step 3 - Make the Gravy Base. Add the brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the mixture is fragrant. Slowly add the beef stock while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the flavorful browned bits.

Return the browned beef and all accumulated juices to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and set the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is nearly fork-tender and the stock has reduced by approximately half. Taste the gravy and add more salt if needed and black pepper if desired.

4. Step 4 - Add the Vegetables. Add the carrots and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the celery and continue simmering for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender and the celery is still bright green.

It is important to add the vegetables in stages. The carrots require the longest cooking time and the celery the shortest. Adding them in stages allows each vegetable to become tender without overcooking the others.

5. Step 5 - Serve. Remove the bay leaf. Taste once more and add additional salt only if needed. Serve and enjoy!