Hearty Beef Stew
Slow-simmered hearty beef stew with a rich tomato-broth base, thickened by reduction rather than flour. One pot, simple ingredients, and better the next day.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Beef Stew Meat
- 1/2 Yellow Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 4 Button Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp Butter or Avocado Oil
- 1/4 cup Jarred tomato pasta sauce like a basic marinara, not plain canned tomato sauce.
- 2 cups Broth (beef or chicken)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season the beef: Season the beef with salt and pepper and let it rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.
- Brown the beef: Melt the butter or oil in a Dutch oven or similar heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, then remove and set aside. 💡 Tip: Don't crowd the pan — overcrowded meat steams instead of searing, and you lose most of the flavor that browning builds.
- Sauté the aromatics: Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion until soft, then add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Build the base: Add the pasta sauce and broth, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the liquid loosens them. Return the beef to the pot and stir to combine. Add a splash of water if needed to ensure meat is covered about half way.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and hold a gentle simmer — small bubbles rising occasionally, never a rapid boil. Cook 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cover partially if the liquid reduces too quickly. It's ready when the beef breaks apart easily with a fork, the broth has darkened and thickened slightly, and the aroma is rich and savory rather than sharp. Boiling hard will make the beef tough instead of tender.
- Add the mushrooms: Stir in the mushrooms during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Adjust and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.