Nothing matches a snowy Canadian evening quite as well as a rich and hearty beef stew, and most families have beef stew recipes that have been passed down over generations. Here’s one of mine.
This recipe uses simple ingredients that most of us already have in the pantry, and uses techniques that even a beginner can easily master. But it yields a stew that is thick, tender, and perfect for a family dinner — and for lunch the next day!
A Note About the Beef
Beef is the star, here, so choosing the right cut of beef is important if you want to get it right. You can order pre-cut cubes of stewing beef through most grocery delivery services, but if you want to upgrade the flavour you can also swap out stewing beef for chuck roast.
A truly delicious beef stew starts with quality Canadian beef, so consider getting meat delivered to your home in Canada through a local meat delivery service that can help you get steak and stewing beef from farms in your province.
Not only does local meat taste better, it’s also a great way to support Canadian farmers during a difficult year. And if you really want to give the stew a Canadian twist, swap out the beef for buffalo meat from a provider like truLOCAL.
Ingredients:
This recipe serves 4-6.
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 lb. beef cut into cubes
- 4 tbsp. cooking oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. carraway seeds
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with salt and pepper, then toss the beef cubes until they are evenly coated.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Put in the beef and cook at a medium heat until the beef is browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and put aside.
- Add the red wine and turn up the heat, scraping the brown fond from the bottom of the pot to create a rich gravy. Add the beef stock, bay leaves, mustard, and carraway seeds, bring to a boil, and add the carrots, onion, and potatoes.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the beef, and let cook for an hour, or until the beef and vegetables are tender. If the liquid starts to run low, simply add more beef broth to keep the desired consistency.
- Pour into bowls and serve with fresh bread or dinner rolls.
One of the best things about this stew is that the flavours only deepen when stored in the fridge overnight, making this a perfect leftover dish.
Because the stew has a tendency to congeal, simply add a little more beef stock to keep it from becoming too heavy when serving the next day.
