Plain and Simply Delicious Beef Stew Recipe

The solstice has come and gone. Supposedly days are getting longer. But on bitter cold January evenings, darkness seems to fall awfully early. (I’m trying hard not to use the word bleak as a descriptive—oops, there it is.)

On a cold winter night, nothing warms you better, inside and out, than a big bowl of Plain and Simply Delicious Beef Stew. This unpretentious, hearty dish is dominated by single-note beefy flavor. Slow-simmered to the point of shredded disintegration, the beef yields delicious concentrated gravy.

Spoon the meaty sauce over the stew’s chunky carrots—cooked down to caramelly intensity—and mealy potatoes. We like to add a piece of hot-from-the-oven baguette or warm cornbread for additional carb-comfort.

As its name implies, this stew is remarkable for its plainness. So don’t fancy it up. Except for lightly seasoned dredging flour and salt and pepper, the recipe includes no spices, onions, garlic, celery or other aromatic vegetables.

If you have a crockpot, you can put Plain and Simply Delicious Beef Stew together in minutes and let the beef simmer down while you go about your day.



Add the vegetables an hour before serving and tuck into an effortless meal.



By the way, if you bagged a deer this season, like my friend, @elocio, you’ll be glad to know this recipe makes Plain and Simply Delicious Venison Stew as well.

Plain and Simply Delicious Beef Stew Recipe

2 pounds of grassfed, pastured beef or venison stew meat, cut into 2-3″ chunks
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
Grinding of black pepper
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil—not olive oil
4 cups hot beef broth
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3” chunks
3-4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered

1. In a brown paper bag combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Shake up the flour and seasonings to mix.
2. Pat dry the meat chunks and put them into the bag. Shake the meat to coat with the seasoned flour. Reserve flour.
3. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium flame.
4. Fry the meat chunks in a single layer, turning to brown.
5. If using a crockpot, place the browned beef in the crock. Pour the hot beef broth into the Dutch oven and scrape the pan bottom to capture bits of meat and cooking juices. Pour the broth over the meat in the crockpot, cover and simmer the meat for 2-3 hours until very tender.
6. If using a traditional Dutch oven, pour the broth over the meat, cover and bring pot to a boil. Lower flame to lowest point. Simmer meat, covered, for around two hours, stirring occasionally and adding more broth one half-cup at a time if needed, until meat is very tender.
7. Add potatoes and carrots, cover crockpot or Dutch Oven and slow simmer vegetables for another 40 minutes. Check stew. If you prefer a thicker gravy, draw out ½ cup of the sauce, mix it with a tablespoon of the reserved, seasoned flour and pour it back to the stew, stirring to incorporate. Continue cooking the stew on a low simmer for another 20 minutes until the gravy thickens. Add additional freshly ground peeper, if desired, and serve.

Serves 6.