Beef, Potato, and Root Vegetable Stew

On this first day of December, I thought it appropriate to post a recipe for steaming hot, comforting, nutrient-packed stew. As you can probably surmise, I’m not typically a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl; but these ingredients become more appealing to me as the hours of daylight wane and the temperature drops.

I don’t often prepare red meat, and thus appreciate a recipe that calls for a straightforward cooking technique. This stew requires only a simple sear to lock in the meaty juices, followed by a slow-cook in a flavorful broth.  I also rarely eat red meat, so a recipe with a higher ratio of vegetables to meat is right up my alley. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, simply eliminate the bacon & beef, and replace the beef stock with vegetable broth.

As is true with most homemade soups and stews, this one-pot meal is reaches new gustatory heights when reheated as leftovers. The vegetables absorb even more liquid while resting in the fridge overnight, which results in an extra thick stew the next day. Now this is a meal I can sink my teeth into!

Beef, Potato, and Root Vegetable Stew

inspired by Cooking Light’s Belgian Beef and Beer Stew

yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 slices center-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 1/2 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces (after trimming, you will have closer to 1 3/4 – 2 lbs meat)
• extra virgin olive oil, if needed
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle brown ale (I used Harpoon)
• 2 cups low-sodium beef stock, divided
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red potato
• 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potato
• 2 cups sliced carrot
• 2 cups sliced parsnip

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, allow to drain on paper towel.
2. Add the beef to the bacon drippings and cook until browned on all sides, 3-5 minutes. Remove beef from pan.
3. Add onion to pan and saute until slightly soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. If the pan dries out, add in a bit of olive oil.  Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the beer, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits.
4. Add in cooked bacon, seared beef, 1 cup broth, and all of the ingredients from mustard through bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour.
5. Add in the red potato, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, and remaining 1 cup beef broth. Cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2  hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.