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 —Cara Eisenpress
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
- 5-5.5 pounds beef stewing meat, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- salt
- pepper
- 1/3 cup mixed olive and canola oil
- 2 leeks, washed well and cut thinly
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 celery ribs, diced
- 4 ounces white mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 anchovies
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 cup canned whole tomatoes with juices
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 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!
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about 1 month ago Caitlin Miller
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!
about 2 months ago KarenSue
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!
about 2 months ago sbweaver
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.
5 months ago Jen Ayala
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!
5 months ago Nancy
The broth was delicious, but the stew meat was not tender. Will probably try it with a roast instead of stew meat next time.
about 1 year ago Catherine Oliver
What's the secret ingredient please? Looks great but straightforward.
6 months ago Amanda Trayes
anchovies
over 1 year ago Ellen Loomis
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?
over 1 year ago cpc
I always dump the whole can in. Chopped tomatoes are fine.
over 1 year ago lisa
So do I. (Dump the whole can in!)
over 1 year ago cpc
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.
over 1 year ago yiase
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!
over 1 year ago Ann
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.
10 months ago Juliebell
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.
over 1 year ago LVC
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.
over 1 year ago mikm
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.
over 1 year ago lisa
Enjoy, Stacey. It is so so good.
over 1 year ago Stacey Snacks
Thank you Lisa! Making it now. :)
over 1 year ago lisa
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.
over 1 year ago Stacey Snacks
Has anyone made this in the oven? If so, how long would you cook it in a Le Creuset Dutch oven? Thank you.
over 1 year ago Al Brenneman
My only change was fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes have a lot of added salt
When the recipe calls for 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, it's just too much.
It's not hard to blanch a tomato.
over 1 year ago andrew
I used this recipe on the extra venison roasts I had leftover from hunting last year, and it worked very well with the venison. My wife served it to a few of her friends who were not familiar with the taste of venison, but neither were the wiser to what the source of protein was. In fact, both women enjoyed the stew so much, they took extras home to their husbands for dinner. Many compliments have been paid to us on the stew since then.
over 1 year ago Lea T.
Cara: Have you made this recipe in a slow cooker? If yes, what is the cook time?
almost 2 years ago Kirsten Gillies
I made this stew for a supper club I belong to, and this month's theme was "It's got What in it?!". From avocado banana bread, to mochi lemon bars, the theme was really great! But this stew.... OMG, it was the bomb... the absolute hit of the party! I added a diced acorn squash in honor of fall, and I threw in the entire can of those salty, delicious little fishies. I added just a couple to begin with, as my husband threatened not to eat beef stew with fish. It does sound like an odd combination. But the anchovies are like a little bit of savory heaven. After adding one or two more than the recipe called for and deciding they were helping, not hurting, I just tossed them all in (there were probably only about 6 tiny fillets in a can), and the stew was wonderful. The anchovies literally just melt into the stew, and the result is amazing. It was even better left over the next day!
about 2 years ago mollysparrow
This is the only beef stew I make anymore-am making it today on a chilly rainy day! I've made it both true to the recipe and with variations depending on what I have in the house, i.e. excluding leeks, using diced tomatoes instead of whole, etc. It holds up wonderfully to these kinds of changes. These days I usually add more liquid (typically wine) so I can simmer it down uncovered at the end for even more flavor. It's delicious over boiled potatoes and even more so over egg noodles. We love it!
Showing 25 out of 111 comments