Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

This is plain, honest, old-fashioned beef stew. No wine, no fancy herbs, no shortcut packets. Just stewing beef simmered low in good stock until the meat shreds at the touch of a fork, with carrots, potatoes, small onions, and fresh tomatoes added in the second half of cooking so they hold their shape instead of dissolving.

The technique to focus on is the roux thickening at the end. Most home cooks dump flour into the meat at the start, which makes the broth cloudy and gummy. This recipe does it right: simmer everything until tender, pull out a cup of the stock, whisk it with a small roux of flour and butter, then pour it back. That makes the gravy glossy and full-bodied without dulling the flavor of the stock.

Veal stock is the upgrade if you can find or make it. Veal stock has more gelatin than beef stock and gives the finished gravy a lip-sticking body that no other liquid replicates. Beef stock is the standard, and good store-bought stock will get you most of the way there.

Fresh tomatoes added late give the stew a subtle brightness that canned tomatoes can’t. They break down just enough during the last simmer to add color and acidity without overwhelming the meat.

Pro Tips

• Trim and cube the beef into uniform pieces. Even cubes cook evenly; ragged pieces cook unevenly and some end up tough.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot. Thin pots scorch the bottom and bitter the broth.
• Skim the surface during the first simmer to remove foam. A clear stew has a clean flavor.
• Like all braises, this is better the next day. The flavors deepen overnight in the fridge.

Variations

• Add a handful of frozen peas in the last 5 minutes for green color and sweetness.
• Stir in a splash of red wine with the stock for deeper flavor.
• Serve over buttered egg noodles or with crusty bread to soak up the gravy.