Enjoy This Delicious Beef Stew Recipe
Beef stew is a traditional dish in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Latin America. It’s usually prepared in a refractory earthenware bowl. However, most people nowadays resort to the comfort of a pressure cooker or oven.
Regarding the preparation, the ingredients vary by country. However, it’s worth mentioning that, while beef stew isn’t made spicy in Europe, some Latin American preparations include certain types of chili peppers.
It’s usually prepared with enough for four people because it’s typically served as a family meal. It should also be noted that it’s generally a main course.
The following beef stew recipe is very easy to make, as it requires very simple ingredients that almost everyone likes: potatoes and carrots. It’s worth mentioning that carrot gives it a sweet touch. If you like how this vegetable tastes, you can add more of it!
Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Necessary ingredients for 4 people
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ kg of potatoes (1 lb)
- 1 onion
- ½ kg of beef loin (1 lb)
- 1 ripe tomato
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup of white wine (250 ml)
- 14 medium carrots
- 1 teaspoon of paprika (5 grams)
- Seasonings: salt, saffron, three peppercorns (optional)
You should also read: What is Lean Protein and How can it Help Your Diet?
Preparation
- First, clean and cube the meat. After that, preheat the oven to 390°C.
- Finely chop the onion. Then, cut the tomato and the carrots into julienne and cube the potatoes (without peeling them).
- In a frying pan greased with olive oil, sauté the vegetables until the onion is lightly browned. Proceed to sauté the meat in the frying pan. You shouldn’t cook it completely. Once ready, season.
- Then, pour the olive oil in the frying pan until you cover the bottom completely. Put it in the oven for 5 minutes to warm it up and, after this time, place the potatoes and meat on top, along with the wine and bay leaves. The ingredients should be completely covered with liquid.
- Finally, cover and let the beef stew bake for 20 minutes. After this time, check to see if the potatoes are well done and add the other vegetables. If necessary, add some water to cover the ingredients completely.
- Cover once again and let cook for five minutes.
Another Version of Beef Stew
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 fresh head of garlic
- 3 medium onions
- 4 medium carrots
- 2 cups of white wine
- 2 big, red apples
- 1 cup of dried apricots
- 1 cup of pitted prunes
- Seasonings: salt, ground black pepper, fresh rosemary.
Preparation
- For starters, marinate the beef the day before with abundant wine, fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let marinate for at least 10 to 12 hours. The next day, preheat the oven to 390°C.
- Cover the bottom of the frying pan with plenty of olive oil.
- After that, cut the apples into julienne, without removing the skin. Chop the onion and garlic into small pieces. In a frying pan greased with olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat. Once ready, set aside.
- Take the stew to the oven and, once ready, add the beef and potatoes. Add the sautéed onion and garlic on top. And as in the previous recipe, make sure that all the ingredients are covered in liquid.
- After the first 15 minutes, open the oven to see if the beef has browned. If so, turn it so it browns on the other side. If necessary, add a glass of water and another of wine and let cook.
- Before serving, add the apples.
- Then, enjoy!
These recipes indicate that you must keep the meat moist to ensure a juicy and soft final result. This way, it’ll be easier to cut. In addition, marinating is one of the most important steps since it will determine the dish’s flavor.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Hartmann, C., Dohle, S., & Siegrist, M. (2013). Importance of cooking skills for balanced food choices. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.01.016
- Chang, J. (2010). Home cooking. ICIS Chemical Business. https://doi.org/10.2307/4024305
- Martinez, O., Salmerón, J., Guillén, M. D., & Casas, C. (2004). Texture profile analysis of meat products treated with commercial liquid smoke flavourings. Food Control. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0956-7135(03)00130-0