Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Recipe by gingham
Melting beef, potatoes, and carrots in a deep, savory gravy. Ten minutes of browning makes all the difference.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
Method
Season the beef with the salt and pepper and toss it with the flour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, about 5 minutes each, and move it to the slow cooker.
Turn the heat to medium and cook the onion for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then pour in the stock and scrape up all the browned bits. Pour it over the beef.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, potatoes, and carrots, and stir.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is very tender.
Stir in the peas and let them warm through for 10 minutes. Take out the bay leaves and taste for salt.
Notes from the source
On a busy morning you can skip the browning and put everything straight in. The stew will be a little lighter in flavor.