An easy and hearty homemade beef stew made with fork tender grass fed chuck roast and Italian gnocchi dumplings, in a smoky paprika gravy with subtle hints of clove.
I’ve been dusting off the recipe files here at the Love Shack and came across this simple, rustic, 5 Star beef stew. I really like to make something hearty and seasonal for the holidays and comfort food is always a crowd pleaser.
Always use organic grass fed beef, extremely flavorful and nutritious, a healthy choice your body will thank you for.
As with any kind of slow cooked stew you will need patience. This is not a meal you can rush as we are using tougher cuts of meat that need to simmer slowly until they tenderize and fall apart. It will taste is even better 2 days later.
Green peas and potatoes are a classic but dumplings, or ricotta Italian gnocchi make a really lovely substitute.
Can be made on your stove top, oven or slow cooker!
And tough the recipe calls for browning the chuck roast, you are free to skip this step and go on the healthier side. I’ve experimented both ways and couldn’t tell a change in flavor. Ultimately your call and don’t forget you can can even freeze it If you want.
P.S. This recipe can me made 100% cruelty-free and better for you by using meaty jackfruit instead of beef. Please consider making this popular Italian vegan stew instead.
Homemade Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbs butter
- 3 lb chuck roast cut into 1″ cubes organic grass fed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 c all purpose flour
- 1/3 c fresh italian parsley chopped
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 3 leaves bay
- 4 whole cloves
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1.25 qt water, filtered
- 3/5 c frozen green peas- thawed
- 1 c cherry tomatoes, diced
- 3/4 lb gnocchi or golden potatoes ( diced )
- 2 carrots, sliced
Instructions
- Heat up a large cast iron dutch oven over medium flame. Season the beef cubes with sea salt and black pepper and toss to coat well with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, brown the beef in the hot pot. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
- Add the 2 tbs butter and a lug of olive oil to the pot and sautee the chopped onions until translucent (about 5 min). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook one more min. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook for another minute or so making sure not to burn it.
- Deglaze the pot with the warm water whisking as you add it to break up any lumps that might form. Bring to a simmer.Add the beef cubes back to the pot, the bay leaf, whole cloves and thyme. Cover with a tight lid and allow it to simmer together for 2 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew, turn the flame up to med-low and simmer partially covered for another 20 minutes or so until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from heat. If using potato gnocchi add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking or boil separately then add them to the stew.
- Add the tomatoes and peas and give the stew a good stir. Cover with the lid for a few minutes until the tomatoes release their juices and the peas are just heated through.
- Adjust seasonings to your taste and serve the homemade beef stew with crusty bruschetta and sprinkled with the fresh parsley.
- OVEN METHODPreheat your oven to 375"FFollow the above steps and after you added the beef cubes back into the stew cover with a tight lid and transfer the pot to the hot oven. Cook for 2 hours then add the carrots and potatoes or dumplings/gnocchi. Cook an additional 20 minutes or so until cooked through and the beef is fork tender.
- SLOW COOKER/CROCK POT METHODAdd the beef, onion, garlic, sea salt, potatoes, carrots, cloves, thyme and bay leaf to the slow cooker. In a bowl whisk together the water with the flour and paprika. Pour over the ingredients and drizzle with the olive oil. Cook on hight for 5-6 hours or on low for 11 -12 hours.
Nutrition
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