Beef Stew VI

See how to make a classic stovetop beef stew. See more

READY IN ABOUT 2½ hrs

Beef Stew VI

Read Reviews (998)

"Thick beef stew good eaten from a bowl or poured over biscuits. Substitute lamb and voila!...Irish stew!! If thicker stew is desired, add more cornstarch and/or take cover off for last 15-20 minutes. The longer this simmers, the better! Vary the herbs to your taste." — Paula

Directions

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into pot. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 2 hrs
READY IN 2 hrs 20 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 12, 2008

This stew is very good! I did make some changes based on the reviews: Here is what I did. in a bag I put 1/4 cup flour, teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder. 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Put the stew meat in, and shook it up baby! Then I cooked it up in my ( cast iron ) dutch oven and seared in those flavors. This really put some great flavor on that meat and the yummy bits stuck to the bottom of the cast iron pan easily came off during the deglazing with the liquids. I didn't cut back on any liquids..actually you will probably want to add more towards the middle-end of the cooking time. I used 1/2 cup of red wine during the deglazing with the other liquids. I thought it needed more vegetables since I made this recipe 2 weeks ago staying true to the recipe..but this time when I did it, I added an extra ( 1 more carrot, celery, potato ) I added 1/2 of an extra onion. I also took the advise of another reviewer and added 1 tblspn each of ketchup, A-1 sauce, and wistersire sauce that really gave it some full-bodied flavor...Wow!! Served it up to my family with some home made southern style buttermilk biscuits...mmm, mmm, good delicious!! As my Dad also said.."There ought to be a law against cooking this good!"

—Chuck

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 13, 2003

I didn't like this recipe at all. Maybe I'm just not a stew eater, but I thought the gravy was too thin and the seasonings weren't hearty enough to bring out the flavor of the meats and vegetables. Celery in stew doesn't thrill me either.

—SQUEAKYCHU

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1,414 Ratings

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Sep 06, 2005

This stew was excellent!!!! The flavor was so good and the meat was so tender. I followed the recipe except for a few things. I added a 1/2 cup of red wine in place of a 1/2 cup of water as another person suggested. I seasond my meat with pepper and garlic powder before I browned it. And I trippled the amount of cornstarch as other people suggested to make it thicker. One thing I did do that I wish I hadn't was add salt. The beef bouillon gives it plenty, so I recomend not adding any extra at all. I also stopped cooking it at least ten min. early because the meat was already as tender as could be.

—SARAHSLATON

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Oct 28, 2007

BEST beef stew I've ever made! I added 3 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder to the flour mixture before browning the beef. I followed the recipe exactly as directed, except I used powdered beef base instead of the cubes and also one jumbo red chopped onion. Also, I made 5 times the cornstarch mixture as I prefer a thicker gravy. As a result, I had to add some salt as there wasn't as much salt in the powdered beef base. Also, if you add the 3 tsp of pepper to the beef before browning, watch how much pepper you put into the stew. Mine has a bit too much kick as a result but it's still excellent! Also, if you use red potatoes and not russet ones, your potatoes won't turn into mush no matter how long you cook them. I learned this from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats". Russet potatoes will dissolve into mush unless you throw them in at the last minute. I cooked my red and yellow golden potatoes for over an hour in this stew and they didn't change shape. BEST STEW RECIPE ON THIS SITE!

—freelancer

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Nov 04, 2005

I have to say that in my 30+ years of cooking I have never tasted a stew quite like this one. I did not use the Bouillon cubes as it called for as they tend to be to salty. I go for a less expensive way and get the 48 oz. can of Beef broth. I had 3 lbs. of beef stew chunks and followed the recipe almost exactly. I added more pepper for flavoring as we like it flavorful. I also added the salt just to taste so it would not be too salty. We have ours over rice. The beef was juicy and tender. I have made beef stew for over 15 years and it has never came out this good for me before. I was also surprised to find that when the cornstarch was added to the cool water it dissolved completely. I will use this trick from now on with any recipes requiring cornstarch. Thanks for such a great recipe Paula! A MUST TRY FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES HEARTY MEALS!!!!! I will definitely be making this one again.

—DAWNSCOTT

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Sep 29, 2006

The ingredients didn't sound terribly exciting, and I was expecting a rather flat tasting stew, but wow! The first bite/slurp surprised me as being incredibly savory, even without large amounts of salt. I did add garlic to the meat as I browned it, and I added a bit of oregano, but otherwise I followed the recipe. I will definitely make this one again!

—MEGMOMSTER

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Jun 27, 2005

The BEST stew (made from scratch & not leftover pot roast) that I have ever had. We ate it over the whole weekend -- first in the Italian Bread Bowls from this site & then in regular bowls with the leftover bread from the insides of the bowls used for dipping. I used the suggestion of substituting a sweet potato in place of one regular potato -- as it cooked I smashed it into the sides of the pot to help thicken the stew. The only other change I made was using about 5 times the amount of cornstarch -- we like our stew very thick. The rosemary definitely makes the flavor of this stew, & I don't normally cook with rosemary. We all loved it in this meal, though, & I won't change a thing next time I make it!

—DEW44BEAR

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Feb 04, 2003

This was such a wonderful recipe! I have tried beef stew in the crock pot, but the meat just didn't come out tender enough. In this recipe the meat was melt in your mouth delicious! I added pearl onions which was just a nice other vegetable to throw in. I think you have found the secret to a great beef stew!!

—NATPIE

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Nutrition

Calories
401 kcal
20%

Carbohydrates
24.9 g
8%

Cholesterol
79 mg
26%

Fat
21.2 g
33%

Fiber
3 g
12%

Protein
27.2 g
54%

Sodium
436 mg
17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Beef Stew VI

Serving Size: 1/10 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 401
Calories from Fat: 191

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 21.2g 33 %
Saturated Fat 7.4g 37 %
Cholesterol 79mg 26 %
Sodium 436mg 17 %
Potassium 748mg 21 %
Total Carbohydrates 24.9g 8 %
Dietary Fiber 3g 12 %
Protein 27.2g 54 %
** Sugars 2.9g
Vitamin A 85 %
Vitamin C 17 %
Calcium 5 %
Iron 31 %
Thiamin 19 %
Niacin 77 %
Vitamin B6 39 %
Magnesium 17 %
Folate 14 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.