Not all beef stew is created equal. I’ve tried several over the years, from slow cooker recipes to those cooked low and slow on the stove. It was Ina Garten’s ultimate beef stew recipe from her cookbook Modern Comfort Food that led me to the best beef stew I’ve made to date. I followed most of the steps in Ina’s book, but I adjusted the recipe to accommodate the ingredients and quantity I had on hand. The results were amazing, and so the search for a good beef stew recipe ends here!

Best Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil 

2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes 

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 cup of heart red wine (I used a Côtes du Rhone)

2 yellow onions, chopped 

1 cup of celery, chopped (about 4 celery stalks) 

6 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes including the juice 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef broth 

1 pound carrots, scrubbed and cut 1/2 inch thick diagonally 

1 pound Russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes 

10 ounces frozen peas

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. 

Season the stew beef all over with salt and pepper. 

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. 

Brown half of the meat in the Dutch oven, turning occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate or bowl and brown the second batch of stew beef. Transfer the second batch to the bowl or plate and set aside. 

Off the heat, add 1/3 cup of wine to the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Simmer over medium heat for about a minute. Add the onions and celery, and sauté the vegetables for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. 

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and tomato paste into the pot. Add the remaining 2/3 cup of wine, beef broth, the seared stew meat, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Check occasionally to ensure the liquid is simmering. 

Take the Dutch oven out of the oven and stir in the carrots and potatoes. Cover and bake in the oven for an additional hour, until the meat and vegetables are very tender. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and stir in the peas. Adjust seasoning to your liking with salt and pepper. Serve hot.