Beef Stew Recipe

Been a little scared of cooking beef as it might turn out tough & dry. Until we did some research and found out this interesting article by Serious Eats, they mentioned that the best part of the beef to make beef stew is chuck. It has lot of connective tissue and fats. Also, it's affordable and preforms the best. Click here to read more.


Ingredients A
4 tablespoons Vegetable oil
400g Beef Chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
100g Oxtail
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For searing, heat a large Dutch Oven or a Soup Pot with a tight-fitting lid with Vegetable Oil. Season the beef chunks and oxtail generously with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Saute (uncovered) for about 8 minutes stirring occasionally, ensure all sides are well-browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Rinse the Dutch Oven or a Soup Pot, wipe out the pan and return the pot to the stove.

Ingredients B
2 tablespoons Butter / Olive Oil
1 medium Brown Onions
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 cup Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour (optional)
1 cup Water
1 cup Beef or Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 sprigs Fresh Parsley / 1 teaspoon of Dry Parsley
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme / 1 teaspoon of Dry Thyme
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary / 1 teaspoon of Dry Rosemary (optional)
2 Bay Leaves
200g medium Potatoes, quartered
2 medium Carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

If using the oven to cook for 1.5 hours, preheat the oven to 165°C.

Heat the large Dutch Oven or the Soup Pot with butter or Olive Oil. Add in Onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add the seared beef chunks and oxtail. If you're adding flour mix it into the water, we omitted as we prefer our stew to be soupy base, however, if you like slightly thick soup you may add. Add Water, Broth, Red Wine and bring to a simmer. Place the Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, and Bay Leaves in a soup-bag and add the bundle to the pot. Cover and transfer to the oven to cook for approximately 1.5 hours where the meat will be just tender. This can also be done on the stove at a low simmer, it will take approximately 1 hour.

Remove pot from the oven or stove, with a ladle skim as much fat off as possible. Add the Potatoes, Carrots, Celery and bring to a simmer on top of the stove for another 1 hour until the liquid slightly thickens and the vegetables are tender, not forgetting to stir occasionally. Remove and discard the herb soup bag. Stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dish into bowls and serve hot with rice or mash potatoes.

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