Sunday Best Beef Stew
Sunday Best Beef Stew has tender cubes of beef simmered long and slow in a rich gravy with onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 Pounds Beef Stew Meat (Cut in ¾” Cubes)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Wondra Flour (Sauce and Gravy Flour)
- ¼ Cup Safflower Oil
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion (Peeled, Cut in Half and each Half Cut into 6 Wedges)
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Quart Beef Stock (No Salt Added or Low Sodium )
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper (Freshly Ground )
- 3 Cups Carrots (Peeled and Cut in 1” Chunks)
- 3 Cups Small Golden or Red Potatoes (Quartered)
- 1 ½ Cups Celery ( Cut in 1” Chunks)
Instructions
- 1
Dry and Dredge the Beef. Remove the beef from the packaging and dry well with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Drying the meat is essential to get good caramelization during the searing of the meat. Sprinkle meat with salt and Wondra Flour, coating all sides. Shake off excess flour.
- 2
Brown the Beef and Onion. In a large Dutch oven heat the safflower oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering add cubes of dredged beef in batches, turning and browning until all sides are a rich golden brown. Remove the beef from the Dutch oven and add onion wedges. Cook the onion until slightly brown and translucent.
- 3
Make the Gravy Base. Add brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf. Stir well and add beef stock. Return the browned beef to the Dutch oven, cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook for 2 hours. The stock should be reduced approximately by half. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Add finely ground black pepper, if desired.
- 4
Add the Vegetables. Add the carrots and simmer for 30 minutes. Next, add the potatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Lastly, add the celery and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender.It is very important to add the vegetables in stages. The carrots take the longest to cook and the celery the least. By adding them in stages you get the best flavor of each veggie.
- 5
Serve. Remove the bay leaf, serve, and enjoy!