Melt-In-Your-Mouth Beef Stew

This beef stew is crazy, melt-in-your-mouth good. And despite the long cook time, it is super simple to pull together, place in the oven and forget it. Then out of the oven comes a mouthwatering fancy and full meal for a special Sunday night dinner. Big win.

I am not usually a huge fan of heavy meat dinners, and avoid making this type of meal for the most part. But this stew is really an exception because the vegetables star equally with the beef.

Anyone can make a great melt-in-your-mouth beef stew if you follow a few simple principles. First, start by choosing the right kind of beef. Chuck roast is the way to go. Chuck roast has the right type of marbling that melts down and becomes incredibly juicy and tender in the longer cooking process. Bonus—it is a fairly inexpensive cut of meat. But the trick is the low and slow cooking process. Rush this, and your results will not be melt-in-your-mouth tender.

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Below are some simple tips, yet make a huge difference in cooking a really great beef stew:

TIPS FOR A MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH BEEF STEW:

• Cut the vegetables all the same size for even cooking
• Tomato paste browned with onions adds a depth of flavor
• Build flavors by adding in layers
• Cook low and slow in a 350-degree oven to melt fat in the beef
• Add vegetables in the last hour of cooking to maintain textures
• Stir in parsley or other fresh herbs at the very end for a fresh twist

There is also room for some creativity in the recipe with the ingredients. If you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out. If you love turnips or rutabagas, include those. Root vegetables hold up the best for the long cooking process for stew. I use carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and parsnips. My particular favorite is parsnips, and what I believe take this beef stew from great to amazing. They lend a sweetness that pairs perfectly with the starchiness of the potato and the umami of the meat and the mushrooms.

Start by trimming any large chunks of fat or silver skin from the roast and cut the beef into one to two-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a heavy Dutch oven, heat oil and saute minced onions in the oil until translucent. Then add tomato paste and brown with the onions. Tomato paste is essential to this dish, adding the depth of flavor that brings out the flavors of the dish. Add flour to create a roux and stir into the onion mix until lightly browned.

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Slowly whisk in chicken stock, incorporating into the flour mix and stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring this up to a boil to reach its maximum thickening. I use homemade stock, which is so much better than the boxed kind. Check out my blog entry on making your own Chicken Stock!

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Add the meat to the thickened stock. Place uncovered it in a 350-degree oven, and cook for two to three hours until the meat is browned. A 350F oven and the long time in the oven is the secret to this melt-in-your-mouth beef stew.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the vegetables by chopping into 1-inch cubes so they are all the same size. Adding the vegetables to the stew for the last hour of cooking helps to keep them from getting all mushy and disintegrating into the stew. Cover pot for the last hour in the oven.

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Then pull the stew out of the oven, stir and check that the vegetables are tender by inserting the tip of a knife. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. When ready to serve, stir in a couple tablespoons of chopped parsley and ladle into soup bowls. With crusty bread, you will have yourself a hearty and satisfying meal!