I don’t know why, but as soon as school starts I move full on into all things fall. Even though it's still blistering hot outside (I live in Northwest Florida), I’m bringing out blankets that no one is using, I’m firing up the grill and immediately regretting it and I am making hearty hot stews that no one in my family is excited about. Case in point - my beef stew. Don’t get me wrong, everyone in my family agrees that they love the taste of it, it's just the time that I choose to serve it. I know it’s weird but they don’t want to come in from a virtual steam bath outside and be fed a big bowl of hot beef stew.
I know all of this, but I can’t help myself. The temps are below 90 degrees and it’s September, people! So here I am, once again, cooking it up!
If you are in cooler climes, I really do recommend this beef stew recipe! It is so easy to make. You can make it in a dutch oven, a slow cooker or an instant pot. The beef stew recipe is really flavorful and the meat ends up being super tender because it is sauteed and browned first.
Beef Stew Recipe
2 to 3 lbs stew meat
1 cup flour or almond flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 TBL olive oil
6 slices of bacon, cut up
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 cups celery, sliced
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 32 oz. cartons beef stock
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1 TBL oregano
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 cup red wine (optional)
Toss stew meat in flour, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, slow cooker or instant pot. Saute the stew meat and bacon until golden brown. Remove the meats and set aside. Add onions, celery and carrots to the oil. Saute until onions are soft. Add meat back, beef stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, worcestershire and optional red wine. If you are using a dutch oven, bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour or all day.
For a slow cooker, choose “low” and cook all day. For an instant pot, choose the “sealing” option and “manual” 40. Allow to naturally release before serving.
