Prep Time: 20minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2hours hours
Total Time: 2hours hours 10minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
There’s just something about a good, old-fashioned beef stew that hits the spot and make everything in the world feel right again. This one hits all the marks with melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef, hearty vegetables, and a broth so flavorful you’ll want to soak it up with a slice of bread. A simple two-step cornstarch process gives it the perfect thickness, and the mix of allspice, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce brings the flavor.
While the recipe may seem lengthy clocking in at 2 hours, most of the work is in the prep. Once you’ve chopped your vegetables, it’s simply a matter of simmering everything until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender. This stew is the best for any time you need good, hearty, and comforting food that revives you.
Ingredient Notes Old Fashioned Beef Stew
- Beef Stew Meat: If you can’t find pre-cut stew meat, simply purchase a whole chuck roast and cut it into 1- to 2-inch cubes yourself.
- Cornstarch: Divided and used in two stages. First to coat the beef for browning, then as a thickener at the end.
- Olive Oil: You can substitute it with any neutral cooking oil like vegetable or canola oil.
- Garlic: Fresh minced for the best flavor.
- Beef Broth: Use a good-quality, low-sodium beef broth for the base of your stew.
- Red Potatoes: These are ideal because they hold their shape well when cooked. If unavailable, Yukon Gold potatoes are a great alternative. Avoid using russet potatoes, as they tend to break apart in stews.
- Pearl Onions: You can find them in the frozen vegetable section. If you can’t find them, substitute them with roughly chopped white or yellow onion.
- Carrots: Baby carrots can work too, though you’ll want to cut them into smaller pieces.
- Granulated Sugar: Just a touch of sugar balances out the acidity.
- Allspice: This is its own spice that comes from a berry, it’s not a mixture of other spices. It adds a warm note which is really the secret here.
Stew Meat
Most grocery stores offer stew meat which is already cut, near the butcher department. Stew meat is usually just a cubed chuck roast, but it can come from other cuts too.
Not all beef works well for stew. Chuck roast is my favorite because it has enough marbling to stay tender after a long simmer. You can also use bottom round, top round, or brisket. Leaner cuts can dry out, so stick with something that does well with slow cooking.
Pearl Onions
I cannot get enough of the sweet pop of flavor that a pearl onion adds to beef stew. Fresh pearl onions are seasonal, but you can always find them in the frozen section at your local grocery store, which I prefer anyway. They have a nice, mild flavor, are already peeled, and are ready to add, whole, into this stew.
If you can’t find these little gems, a regular chopped white or yellow onion would also work, but it won’t have the same pizazz as a beef stew made with pearl onions.
Step by Step Guide How to Cook
Season and coat the beef. Toss beef cubes with cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
Sear. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides.
Add aromatics. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Deglaze. Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add vegetables and seasonings. Stir in potatoes, pearl onions, carrots, celery, sugar, basil, oregano, parsley, paprika, and allspice.
Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover and cook 90 to 120 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender.
Thicken. Mix remaining cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. Slowly stir it into the stew and simmer a few minutes until thickened.
Finish and serve. Taste, adjust salt and pepper, and ladle into bowls.
Tender Beef Every Time
Searing the beef first helps lock in flavor, but the real secret for melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef is low and slow cooking. Let the stew simmer gently until the beef breaks apart easily with a fork. If it’s still a little tough, give it more time. Patience pays off here.
Two Stage Cornstarch Method
I use cornstarch twice in this recipe, and that’s the secret to getting the perfect stew consistency. The first step happens before you even start cooking. Tossing the beef with a little cornstarch before searing helps it brown nicely while also creating a light coating that thickens the stew naturally as it cooks.
The second step comes at the end when you mix the remaining cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. This simple mix gets stirred into the simmering stew right before serving. It thickens the broth just enough to make it rich and velvety without turning it gluey. The two-step method keeps the sauce balanced, smooth, and perfectly hearty every time.
