Description
This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a hearty, flavorful dish packed with tender chunks of stew meat, carrots, baby Yukon gold potatoes, and a rich broth infused with cabernet sauvignon, herbs, and spices. Perfect for an easy, comforting meal that requires minimal hands-on time, this stew is slow-cooked to tender perfection and finished with a touch of butter for a velvety texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 2 ½ pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ cup flour
Cooking Fats
- 3-6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, divided
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 cups yellow onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 cup frozen peas
Liquids and Flavor Enhancers
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon or merlot
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig rosemary
- ¼ cup cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch (optional, for thickening)
- 2-3 drops Gravy Master (optional, for richer color)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat: Cut the stew meat into 1-inch cubes, removing any large pieces of fat while retaining fat marbled in the meat. Sprinkle with black pepper, garlic salt, and celery salt, then toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle flour over the meat and toss again to coat all pieces.
- Brown the meat: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat in batches to avoid overcrowding and brown each side for about 45 seconds. Add more oil as needed. Transfer browned meat to the slow cooker.
- Sauté onions and garlic: Lower the skillet heat to medium and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced onions and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour a splash of wine into the pan and use a silicone spatula to deglaze, scraping up browned bits for extra flavor. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients: To the slow cooker, add the carrots, baby Yukon gold potatoes, beef broth, bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and remaining olive oil as needed. Do not add peas, cornstarch mixture, or remaining butter yet.
- Slow cook the stew: Cook on low for 7½ to 8 hours or on high for 3½ to 4 hours until the vegetables are softened and potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add peas and remove herbs: In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig before serving.
- Optional thickening: If desired, combine ¼ cup cold water with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and slowly add to the stew, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. The stew will thicken further as it stands.
- Finish with butter: Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter to create a smooth, velvety finish using the ‘Monter au Beurre’ technique.
- Optional color enhancer: Add 2-3 drops of Gravy Master for a richer, darker color if desired.
Notes
- Choose stew meat with good marbling for best tenderness and flavor.
- Red wine like cabernet sauvignon or merlot adds depth but can be substituted with extra beef broth if preferred.
- Do not overcrowd the skillet when browning meat to ensure proper searing.
- Adding peas late in cooking preserves their color and texture.
- The butter finishing step enhances flavor and gives a velvety consistency to the stew.
- Gravy Master is optional and can be omitted without affecting the stew’s taste.
- Cornstarch slurry is optional but useful to thicken the stew if you want a thicker gravy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1 ½ cups)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
