A hearty Dutch oven beef stew is comfort food at its finest! Seared beef is combined with smoky bacon, creamy potatoes and mushrooms in a rich red wine broth. The stew simmers for hours until incredibly tender, making it the perfect recipe to enjoy on a cooler evening.
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About the Recipe
There's nothing quite like a hearty Dutch oven beef stew on a chilly day. This classic recipe is the perfect blend of tender beef, smoky bacon, earthy mushrooms, and hearty potatoes, all brought together by the depth of red wine, and the best part, all made in one pot! Try my Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese Biscuits on the side with this dish. The perfect match.
Cooking the beef stew in a Dutch oven ensures even cooking, while keeping moisture locked in and creating tender and succulent bite. I write all about cooking with a Dutch oven in my cookbook, One Pot Mediterranean!
If you are looking for another hearty beef stew to try, check out Julia Child's beef bourguignon with pearl onions and mushrooms.
📋 Ingredients
- Cubed Beef: Look for beef stew meat or beef chuck that is vut into 1 inch cubes.
- All Purpose Flour: This flour is used to dredge the cubed beef for thickening the stew, ensuring a rich and velvety consistency.
- Bacon: bacon infuse the stew with a smoky, savory depth, complementing the beef's flavors. I suggest using a thick cut bacon that has enough fat to render.
- Mirepoix: A classic mix of onions, carrots, and celery, the mirepoix provides a fragrant and aromatic base for the stew.
- Red Wine: Red wine not only enriches the stew with a luxurious depth of flavor, but also contributes a slightly fruity undertone. Use a dry red wine that you enjoy drinking, such as a red blend or Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Also called baby portabella mushrooms, use a damp paper towel to remove any dirt before prepping.
- Yukon Potatoes: These potatoes become tender and creamy, serving as the perfect complement to the hearty beef and savory bacon.
- Fresh Oregano: Fresh oregano brings a burst of aromatic freshness to the stew and is also used for garnish. Remove the leaves from the stem and give it a rough chop.
- Beef Stock: Beef stock adds to the flavor of the stew, however water will work just as well if stock isn't available. Low-sodium stock allows for better control of salt levels in the recipe.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
- Bacon Alternatives: Instead of bacon, crisp up cubed pancetta or turkey bacon for a pork free option.
- Mushroom Variety: Experiment with different types of mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, or porcini mushrooms.
⏲️ Instructions
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven, drizzle with olive oil and place on medium heat. Add bacon and cook until the fat renders and bacon is crispy. Once done, remove to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: Dredge the cubed beef in flour sear the meat in the bacon fat on all sides until deeply caramelized. Do this in several batches.
Step 3: Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic and fresh oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add the red wine and deglaze pan by scraping any meaty bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce, then stir in tomato paste.
Step 5: Add the seared beef, potatoes, mushrooms, bacon, bay leaves and pour in the beef stock.
Step 6: Bring the beef stew to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Place the cover on, leaving a small opening and cook for 3 hours, or until meat and potatoes are tender.
📍 Recipe Tips
- Dry the Beef: Use paper towels to pat the beef dry very well. This will help the seasonings and flour adhere to the meat better to achieve a good sear.
- Deglaze with Red Wine: Use a good-quality red wine to deglaze the pan after browning the meat. This step captures those fond (flavorful browned bits) and infuses them into the stew.
- Thick the Beef Stew: If the stew isn't as thick as you like, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with ½ cup of the hot beef stew liquid and stir that into the beef stew as it simmers.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, beef stew can easily be made in the slow cooker. Once the meat is eared, add all of the other ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4 hours.
The trick for a tender beef stew is low and slow cooking. As the beef cooks in the broth, it will become melt in your mouth tender.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the red wine beef stew with crusty bread or garlic focaccia for dipping and sopping up the rich broth.
- A fresh green salad, such as an arugula and per salad is a lovely contrast to the hearty stew.
- Pair the beef stew with the same red wine used in the recipe.
More Hearty Soups and Stews
Dutch Oven Beef Stew with Bacon
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef cubed
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 carrots chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 2 celery chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms cut in half or quarters
- 1 pound Yukon potatoes cut in half or quarters
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs fresh Oregano stems removed and chopped + more for garnish
- 4-5 cups beef stock low sodium, preffered
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season all of the beef evenly with salt and pepper on all sides. Then dridge the beef in flour, shaking off any excess flour so that there is a light and even coating.
- In a wide Dutch oven, drizzle olive oil and bring up to medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon has rendered it's fat, for about 8-10 minutes. Then remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon fat in the Dutch oven.
- In the same Dutch oven, sear the beef cubes on all sides until deeply charred. Depending how wide your Dutch oven is, you'll be searing in batches. Once done, set aside to a plate.
- Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and saute for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Then add the chopped garlic and fresh oregano and continue sauteing for another minute.
- Pour the red wine in and use a sturdy spoon to scrape up any meaty bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven and let the wine reduce by half. Add the tomato paste and stir through for another minute.
- Next, add the seared beef back in, with any accumulated juices, as well as the potatoes, mushrooms, bacon and bay leaves. Pour in the beef stock and bring the beef stew to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer.
- Place the lid onto th4e Dutch oven, leaving a small opening and cook for 3 hours, or until the meat and potatoes are tender.
- Once done, remove the bay leaves and discard and teaste for seasoning. Ladle the beef stew into wide bowls and garnish with additional fresh oregano and serve.
Notes
- Dry the Beef: Use paper towels to pat the beef dry very well. This will help the seasonings and flour adhere to the meat better to achieve a good sear.
- Deglaze with Red Wine: Use a good-quality red wine to deglaze the pan after browning the meat. This step captures those fond (flavorful browned bits) and infuses them into the stew.
- Thick the Beef Stew: If the stew isn't as thick as you like, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with ½ cup of the hot beef stew liquid and stir that into the beef stew as it simmers.
New2Cooking says
What a wonderful recipe. Classic like grandma would make. It really is simple and almost foolproof. Browning the beef is the secret.
Laurel Bobbitt says
This stew is perfection! I subbed stock for the red wine but it still turned out so so delicious! Whole family loved it- no leftovers 🤗
Miriam @ Overtime Cook says
I'm laughing that you posted an old recipe now, because I just did that too! The stuffed mushrooms I posted last week were actually made on thanksgiving...sometimes you need those reserve recipes, huh? 🙂