Hearty Beef Stew

This Hearty Beef Stew is something I make when we are working on a big project at the farm. The stovetop method of this recipe takes 2 hours of cook time and about 30 minutes of prep. Or, you can throw all the ingredients in a crockpot in the morning and forget about it until it’s time for dinner. Our beef stew comes pre-cut in 1x1inch pieces, but they can be cut smaller ( I like smaller pieces) to accommodate smaller mouths. The longer hearty beef stew cooks, the better it gets making it a meal you can reheat and eat throughout your busy week. Hearty Beef Stew goes great with a slice of the best bread recipe to sop up all the yummy broth.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 package Sugar Hill Farmstead stew meat

5 teaspoons Sugar Hill Farmstead beef tallow

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

5 ½ cups broth, homemade or Sugar Hill Farmstead bone broth

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

5 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 large potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoons salt

Optional: 2 cups cut green beans, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 dry cup favorite pasta, tomatoes, dried thyme

Method

Stovetop: Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 5 teaspoons of the tallow in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more tallow as needed between batches. Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Then add vegetables and optional dry pasta, cook covered for 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot: Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 5 teaspoons of the tallow in a large pan. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more tallow as needed between batches. Put the beef from the pan into crockpot. Add vinegar, wine, and broth to the crockpot making sure the beef is covered by liquid. Place vegetables, pasta, 2 bay leaves, cracked pepper to taste, optional dried thyme, and a few pinches of salt into crockpot. Program your crockpot to your preferred setting- mine is a time setting so for this recipe I use the Low 8hr setting and it’s done for dinner. You can also put the vegetables in halfway through but I have difficulty getting back to the house to do this on busy days. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let me know how it turns out by tagging us @sugarhillfarmstead on Instagram! Be sure to give us a ‘Follow’ so we can keep in touch :)