To build a flavorful base, sear the beef first, before adding the beef bouillon cubes and the remainder of the ingredients. Browning the beef creates a caramelized, savory base that enhances both the color of the stew and the deep flavors for the best beef stew recipe.
When choosing the potatoes, opt for Yukon Gold potatoes. This variety has an inviting buttery flavor, but doesn’t release as much starch as other types, such as russets. This is important as too much starch can dull the flavors of the stew.
In the recipe above we’ve kept the seasoning suggestions simple. However, you could make your own beef stew seasoning recipe at home, featuring a more complex mixture of bay leaves, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and smoked paprika, for a more flavorful dish.
Or, try making a Flemish beef stew, featuring brown ale, or a spicy Peruvian beef stew using Peruvian red chili paste, for more flavor twists on this recipe.
Cuts of Beef for Stew
It should be straightforward to source chunks of beef stew meat from the meat counter at your local grocery store. However, you can also explore other cuts of beef to chop into large chunks to use in your stew. Boneless beef chuck roast, cut from the front shoulder, has a helpful ratio of fat to lean tissue. This cut is also both economical and produces a deep flavor. To explore the different types of beef cuts to find your favorite for this stew recipe, take a look at our detailed guide to the various cuts of beef.
Slow Cooking Techniques
Beef stew should be cooked low and slow to create the best texture in your finished stew. Cooking the beef over too high a heat can make the meat undesirably tough and chewy. Equally, you don’t want to cook the beef for too long as this can cause the meat to lose moisture. Aim for the sweet spot of two to three hours if using the Dutch oven method.
While the beef stew is cooking, make sure you manage the liquid levels. The ingredients don’t need to be fully submerged, but instead the broth needs to reach around a third of the way up the Dutch oven to trap moisture during simmering.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover beef stew can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. Let the stew fully cool before transferring to the fridge, and reheat gently over low heat on the stove to enjoy at a later date. If the stew has thickened during storage add a splash of water to the pan when reheating to help adjust the consistency.
