Secret Ingredient Beef Stew
All the veggies get diced into nice small pieces for even distribution.
Amanda gives these dirty little leeks a bath.
Is Merrill making that face because she somehow senses Amanda approaching with that big knife?
A pile o' leeks.
Amanda uses her trusty meat pounder to pulverize several garlic cloves.
SmallKitchCara specifies to brown the meat well for maximum flavor; we cut down a little on the oil and kept the heat at about medium for a slow caramelization.
Teamwork makes it all so much easier.
The veggies go into the pot to soften and catch any of the nice brown bits.
Tomato paste partially obscures the "secret ingredient": anchovies!
Red wine from above.
Nope, it's not cranberry juice, but red wine vinegar!
Amanda squishes the canned tomatoes in her fist before adding them to the stew.
A sad little prisoner who somehow missed the boat.
Last but not least, the herbs go in. Now, everything simmers for a couple of hours.
Author Notes:
I created this recipe for a dinner party I was co-hosting with my sister. I took a lot of steps to make the stew as savory as humanly possible. These steps included: carefully browning the meat; adding great proportions of veggies, including mushrooms and leeks; and stirring in a surprise ingredient: anchovies. The result was delicious, and I served it over buttery, parslied orzo and accompanied by crusty bread. - SmallKitchCara
Food52 Review: This savory, rich stew may be named after one secret ingredient, but it's because of a complex mix of components that it succeeds so well. Tomatoes and tomato paste give it a sunny sweetness, diced veggies lend texture, and red wine and vinegar brighten everything up. Anchovies, the "secret ingredient," are briny and buttery, giving the sauce a smooth, complex finish. We recommend using beef with generous marbling for the best results. - A&M —The Editors
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 hrs 20 min
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5
pounds beef stewing meat, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
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1
pinch salt, plus more to taste
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1
pinch pepper, plus more to taste
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1/3
cup mixed olive and canola oil
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2
leeks, washed well and cut thinly
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1
large onion, diced
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8
cloves garlic, minced
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2
carrots, diced
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4
celery ribs, diced
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4
ounces white mushrooms, roughly chopped
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1/4
cup tomato paste
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2
anchovies
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1/2
cup red wine vinegar
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1
cup red wine
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3
cups beef broth
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1
cup canned whole tomatoes with juices
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1 1/2
teaspoons salt
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3
bay leaves
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3/4
teaspoon dried thyme
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1/3
cup chopped parsley
- Season the beef with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown the meat in batches in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven over high heat, adding more oil as needed. Remove to a plate.
- Lower the heat and add all the vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and anchovies and cook to melt the anchovies and distribute.
- Add the beef back in, with its juices. Add the wine, vinegar, and tomatoes with juice (breaking them up against the side of the pot as you go) and bring to a boil. Add the stock to cover (you may need a bit more than 3 cups). Put in the salt, bay leaf, thyme, bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 2-3 hours until the meat is tender. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.
- When cool, skim off much of the fat from the top. Reheat over low heat, letting the stew simmer 30-45 minutes before serving.
- Mix in half of the parsley and garnish with the rest.
- Your Best Beef Stew Contest Winner!
More Great Recipes:
Stew|Beef|Make Ahead|One-Pot Wonders|Serves a Crowd|Slow Cook|Winter|Gluten-Free|Entree
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Has anyone made this without searing the meat first? I think this can make or at least contribute to making the meat tough, which is a main beef stew complaint. I’ve made this as directed—some meat tough, some not—but have made other recipes without searing. Personally when a stew is this flavorful, I’m not sure it adds much.
Some SE Asian fish sauce (1 Tbsp maybe) would also do the trick if you don't want to open a can of anchovies. But I would certainly open a can, use the two fillets, then eat the rest right off, and lick the can.
So many layers of complex flavor in this recipe. Husband and I thought it was the best beef stew ever.
Has anyone made this recipe in an Instant Pot?
Not yet, but I’d like to try it in an IP.
Made it exactly as specified but added 4 instead of 3 cups of stock because I like a lot of gravy (and it used up the box of stock). Use dmy own canned tomatoes. The vinegar cooks off just enough to leave a not-overwhelming brightness.
This is a wonderful stew. I halved the recipe but used a whole can of tomatoes. Other than that made as directed and served as a shepherd's pie with mashed potatoes on top and browned in the oven. Everyone loved it. Thanks!
Traditionally shepherd's pie is made with lamb and cottage pie with beef. But lots of people use beef for either.
Thanks for the info. I'm half Basque and my Great Grandfather was a sheep rancher so we probably had a great recipe in the past made with lamb but it is lost to me although the name remains. I make many stews with lamb that have anchovies as this does which is why I tried it. I think based on your comment I will try one of these to make a Basque Shepherd's pie. Thanks so much!
I have made this many times, and absolutely love how the broth turns out- so rich and good! I have made some changes to the original though: i use only 2.5 ish lbs of beef and sub in about 1.5 lbs potatoes. This is more economical and beef stew is good with potatoes! I also add a cup or two of frozen peas at the end, because why not? I use the whole can of tomatoes, and extra veggies so as not to have so many leftovers. This means that I only need about one 15 oz can of beef broth before the pot is almost overflowing! I know I have changed it a lot but the vinegar and wine and anchovies and whole tomatoes were things I would probably not have thought to use and they make it just soooo yummy. I usually try to freeze some leftovers but often we eat almost all of it right away!
I am stunned by the recent disappointments in this recipe. My 3 sons of high school and college age beg me to make this for them! I skip the anchovies since I am allergic, but otherwise my family loves this recipe!
Wow...red wine vinegar way over powered the leeks, carrots, mushroom and celery, not to mention the red wine. If I were to do this over again I would add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar at most. I was so disappointed with this recipe. I've always added anchovies to almost any meat dish I make and I thought this was going to add a new twist. Nope.
Made it according to instructions except used pearl onions and did mushrooms separately and added in at the end for the reheat combined with flavors seamlessly. Enjoyed the vinegar level! Definitely added on to the winter dinner rotation!
The broth was delicious, but the stew meat was not tender. Will probably try it with a roast instead of stew meat next time.
What's the secret ingredient please? Looks great but straightforward.
anchovies
Question about the canned tomatoes. There is really only 1 cup of whole canned tomatoes? That doesn't seem like very much -- maybe 3-4 tomatoes. Can some one just confirm this for me?
I always dump the whole can in. Chopped tomatoes are fine.
So do I. (Dump the whole can in!)
I've made this recipe several times and it turns out great every time. This last time, I had to leave for carpool duties of several hours so once everything was in the pot, I popped the whole thing in the oven at 200 degreesF and left it for about 4 hours. It turned out perfectly.
Had this tonight and although there was depth to the flavors of the stew, I'm baffled at what went wrong...
Followed the recipe to a 'T', but the meat was so rough. I seared as instructed, simmered for 2.5h (tasted at 2h and was rough) let come to room temp for 1. At this point, it was a bit tender. It went in the fridge overnight. Heated as instructed the following day, and it was shoe leather. What am I doing wrong? This is my 4th attempt at stew with the same results, so I know it's an error on my end . The meat I used said 'extra lean stew meat' so I wonder if a fattier cut would have helped? Any thoughts are appreciated!
I never use extra lean stew beef in any beef stew recipe. It is just too lean and doesn't really withstand a long cooking time without getting tough. I buy a fattier cut. I usually ask the butcher to cut up a pot roast.
I never buy cut up "stew meat" as you can't be sure what you are getting. Buy a well marbled chuck roast and cut into chunks or ask your butcher to do and I think you will be assured of a great result.
I have to echo the vast majority of comments-the taste is unparalleled.with an exceptionally rich layered flavor. Like others I added vegetables on hand (red potatoes and green beens) but only during the last 45 minutes. This is definitely something to add to my recipe collection.
Followed this recipe to the T and it came out fantastic. Best stew I've ever had or made. I wouldn't reduce the vinegar as some have recommended - the slight tangy/sour flavor is wonderful. For the wine I used a full bodied Malbec.
Enjoy, Stacey. It is so so good.
Thank you Lisa! Making it now. :)
Yes, I always simmer it a bit on the stove in a Le Creuset, then put it in a 300-degree oven for another hour or so. Until the meat is falling-apart tender the the broth is divine.
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