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A savory southern beef stew, made from chunks of seasoned chuck roast, a mixture of beef stock and water, loads of herbs, potatoes, celery and carrots, rich and loaded with flavor. |
Homemade Southern Beef Stew
Like creamy butter beans, Homemade Southern Beef Stew is another one of those belly warmin', budget stretchin' meals that's pretty popular this time of year. The weather this weekend was absolutely perfect for it too.This is an old standby beef stew recipe that I've used since the late 70s and have made very few changes to the basic recipe since then. It's a wonderfully savory stew, with loads of herbs (use fresh if you have them), rich and just full of flavor.
Here's how to make it.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot. Cut the meat into chunks about 1-inch in size and pat dry well with paper towels. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss the beef in batches, lightly coating with the flour mixture.
Shake off excess flour, add to pot in batches and brown. Remove the meat and set aside; continue cooking the beef in batches until all of it is browned, adding more oil as needed. Take care not to overcrowd the pot or the meat will steam more than sear, so better to brown the meat in batches.
Add sliced onion and celery to the pot drippings and cook until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add a few tablespoons of the beef stock/broth to the pot to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. My favorite packaged stock is Kitchen Basics. It's far richer than most commercial broth and there are a number of varieties available now.
Add remaining beef broth, water and beef base; bring to a boil.
While it is optional, I also love using Better than Bouillon in this stew and in my beef soups. It's a pantry staple for me. Look how rich it is. You can't get that from bouillon cubes.
Return the seared beef to the pot, add thyme, rosemary, celery seed, basil, paprika and Cajun seasoning.
Reduce to a low simmer, add bay leaves and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours.
Add the potatoes and carrots, bring back up to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook an additional 15 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You can also use a variety of potatoes of course - I most often find myself using either peeled russets or unpeeled red potatoes, because those are the ones I usually have on hand.
Thickening the stew further is optional but I usually do. I wrote the recipe using a cornstarch slurry since most folks have cornstarch in their kitchens, but I love using Wondra, which is a pantry staple for me. It's perfect for thickening and unlike flour or cornstarch, you can sprinkle it right in whatever you're cooking. Whisk in the slurry or the Wondra, stirring until blended. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are completely fork tender and stew has thickened.
Dig in!
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Recipe: Homemade Southern Beef Stew
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 2 hours 30 min | Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil or bacon drippings, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 pound chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced
- 1 rib chopped celery
- 2 toes of garlic, minced
- 2 (32 ounce) cartons of beef stock or broth
- 4 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of Better than Bouillon beef base, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- Hot, steamed rice
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat in a large (6 quart or larger) Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot. Cut the meat into chunks about 1-inch in size and pat dry well with paper towels. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss the beef in batches, lightly coating with the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour, add to pot in batches and brown. Remove the meat and set aside; continue cooking the beef in batches until all of it is browned, adding more oil as needed.
Add sliced onion to the pot drippings and cook until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add a few tablespoons of the beef stock to the pot to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Add remaining beef broth, water and beef base; bring to a boil. Return the seared beef to the pot, add thyme, rosemary, celery seed, basil, paprika and Cajun seasoning. Reduce to a low simmer, add bay leaves and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours; do not allow to boil.
Add the carrots and potatoes, bring back up to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook an additional 15 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings as needed. In a 2 cup measure, whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup of milk until blended. Slowly add to stew, stirring until blended. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are completely fork tender and stew has thickened. Serve over hot rice with hot buttered biscuits, cornbread or homemade yeast rolls.
Cook's Notes: Don’t crowd the meat during browning or it will end up steaming instead of searing. Can also substitute about 5 medium sized red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into chunks. Cooking time at the end will depend on what variety of potato and size of the carrots you are using, so you may need to give the carrots a slight head start. Take care not to overcook the potatoes; you want them cooked through, but still slightly firm and not mushy.
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Looks really good Mary. I made a pot roast the other day. You know, I never used milk with corn starch to thicken. I'm going to try that next time. Thanks again for the Pom. It is great, and may not make it into a prepared dish I like it so well!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm that looks delicious! Am making this tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteUummm..looks yummy Mary, kinda like after you eat it, you gonna need a nap!
ReplyDeleteThis has everything that I love in a beef stew! It looks delicious and I dig all of those spices! I bet it made for such a satisfying meal. Sort of jealous right now...we had grilled cheese for dinner.
ReplyDeleteWhat a super recipe! Looks like we have some cooler weather headed our way so I may have a chance to finally make something hot and comforting!
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect looking stew, Mary; just what I need today with our artic front moving through! It's cold! Stew is one of my most favorite cold weather dishes-perfect comfort food it is!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great looking stew... stew over rice is a great combo
ReplyDeletethis is a keeper!
Perfect comfort food!
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteWhat store do you shop at? I live in MS too- (Brandon) and I went to find the better than bouillon and slap yo mama and cound not find either. This was at Kroger, have not checked Wal-Mart. Thanks!
Hey Jennifer! The Better than Bouillon I buy at good old Walmart. I can't recall if they carry the SYM seasoning, but you can substitute pretty much any another Cajun or Creole seasoning - like Tony Chachere's. I just prefer the Slap Ya Mama blend and I'm lucky enough to find that at a local Louisiana based market called Rouse's.
ReplyDeleteI didnt follow this recipe exactly but I did use the better than bullion and chuck roast instead and it came out amazing! Thank you so much for posting
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Stephy! I'm so glad y'all enjoyed it and I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment. HUGS!!
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight. It was really good! I do suggest using regular beef stock...no low sodium. I used 1 low and 1 regular and ended up having to add about 6 more turns of salt anyway. This was a winner. A little time consuming but well worth it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fantastic! I added a wee bit of V8 juice, maybe a 1/3 cup, just because I had some. I LOVE this recipe, so glad I found your blog! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel and welcome!! Love the addition of V8. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back by and leave a comment - I appreciate that!
ReplyDelete*Apologies if this is a double post, Typepad is being uppity*
ReplyDeleteI made this stew today, and Mary? There are no words. I must offer you my first-born!
This site has really become my introduction to Western cookery. I'm pretty confident with Asian and Middle Eastern food, but I was a bit reluctant to try Western cooking as I thought it would be a bit bland. Hah! Foolish, foolish me. Each time I make something from this site, I am proven (deliciously) wrong.
Thanks so very much for this site, Mary. I only started cooking last year, and your recipes are so clear and the photos so instructive, I've never been left tearing at my hair and wondering how exactly to beat something GENTLY, or cook til "ready".
Thank you so much Frances!! I do try to write my recipes somewhere between the beginner & the seasoned cook & hope that I don't insult anybody along the way!! I really appreciate you coming back by to leave such a sweet comment. Thanks so much for being a loyal reader!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrific recipe! Family enjoyed it and are calling it the "beef gumbo!" It was a hit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary - glad that they enjoyed it!
DeleteMaking this today for the Bronco game here in Colorado...it's very cold outside...already smells so good!! thanks for the recipe! :)
ReplyDeleteToday is actually the first day that we were out of the mid to upper 80s for a change - so we actually got a little taste of Fall! I hope that the stew went over well.
DeleteOh and serving it over rice is a first for us!! great idea :)
ReplyDeleteI know it may seem redundant to some folks, but we have always served our stew over rice, so it's normal for us! Enjoy!!
DeleteWe always poured ours over fresh cornbread.
DeleteWow! Made this tonight. I didn't have enough Beef stock, so I mixed half beef and half vegetable bouillon. In addition to the carrots and potatoes, I added mushrooms and celery, and I used a homemade dry rub instead of the cajun spice. It was - in short - amazing! We all ate it up with some homemade biscuits. Exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks so much for posting it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed it Cory - and thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!! Happy New Year!
DeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteThis is soooo delicious; best I've ever tasted!
Thank you!
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteThe beef stew recipe sounds pretty close to mine except I add a med. to large rutabaga diced into small pieces. I learned this from my Aunt many years ago and it gives it a great flavor. How much rutabaga depends on how big the pot of stew. If you are making a large pot like a dutch oven, use a large rutabaga. Med. pot med. rutabaga.
Kate
I'm glad you had this on Facebook and I saw it. This is definitely going on my list to try soon!! It will be good because that's what your recipes are!! Pinning it!!
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you try it Kim!
DeleteHi Mary, I'm trying to catch up on going back and making comments on recipes I've tried and liked....This is one of them!! I print them when I try them and make notes if I change anything and if it's a keeper. It IS a KEEPER!! Thanks again!! Pinning to my TRIED IT & LIKED IT board!
DeleteI'm so glad Kim! I love this stew too!!
DeleteInstead of searing meat in the pan I spread out put the chunks of meat in a preheated roasting pan and pop that into a preheated 500F oven for say 25-30 minutes. You get a similar carmelization effect as searing on the stove top, just without having to turn the meat.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip - thanks for sharing!!
DeleteDarn, Mary, I KNEW I liked you! I'm up late, my eyes are hurting a tad. This is almost my stew recipe! Temperature is dropping, so I'll try yours tomorrow, I want to see what the celery seed and basil will do! Have you ever tried adding 1 tsp (rounded) of Marmite? It adds that somethun, somethun.
DeleteCan't say that I've ever seen Marmite!
DeleteDoesn't need to be cold to try out this wonderful looking stew, you come through once again. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThat is so true Diane! We eat beans and stews, gumbo & all those goodies year round for sure.
DeleteI LOVE THIS RECIPE!! TRUE CAJUN SLAP Ya MAMA... Thank God we know how to season
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteFinally made your stew tonight. Had to take out the flour, cornstarch and milk, doc's orders to do low carb now. (trying to ignore veggie carbs...) Guess I'm just a tad too "fluffy." Used some beans to thicken it instead. extra beef base instead of stock. Wish I could comment on how good the leftovers are, but both daughters heard there was low-carb stew and attacked! WOW GIANT HIT!
ReplyDeleteYay! So glad to hear you were able to adapt it for low carb & that everybody enjoyed it!!
DeleteWell done!!!! This came out great!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marvin - glad you enjoyed it!!
Delete