Description
Classic crockpot beef stew: flour-coated chuck browned and slow cooked with potatoes, carrots and celery in a rich broth that thickens into gravy. No wine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds
- 3 ribs celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Chopped fresh parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry. In a large bowl, toss it with the flour, salt and pepper until every piece is coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning until browned on most sides. Move each batch to a 6 quart slow cooker, and add any flour left in the bowl.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and the onion. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in 1 cup of the broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the slow cooker with the remaining 2 cups of broth, the Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves.
- Add the potatoes, carrots and celery and stir gently so the vegetables are mostly covered by the liquid.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and skim any fat from the top. Stir in the frozen peas, cover, and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes more.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve in bowls sprinkled with parsley.
Notes
- No time to brown? Toss the floured beef straight into the slow cooker, whisk the tomato paste, garlic and Worcestershire into the broth, and pour it over with the onion and vegetables. It will still be tender, with a milder flavor.
- For a thicker gravy, stir 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and add it with the peas. Cook on HIGH with the lid off for the last 15 minutes.
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. The potatoes get a little grainy once frozen.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American