Wild Mushroom Beef Stew

This is a fix-it-and-forget-it beef stew built for the slow cooker. Earthy shiitake mushrooms give it a deep, savory, almost meaty backbone that ordinary button mushrooms can’t match.

There’s one smart move at the start: you toss the cubed beef chuck in seasoned flour before it goes in. That flour does double duty, helping the meat hold together and thickening the broth into a proper, glossy gravy as the stew cooks.

Then everything else, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, beef stock, Worcestershire, paprika, and a bay leaf, goes in together. No browning required.

Hours on low coax the chuck into fork-tender chunks while the vegetables soak up all that savory liquid.

It’s the kind of meal you start in the morning and come home to, with the whole house smelling like dinner.

Pro Tips

• Use beef chuck; its connective tissue breaks down over the long cook into tender, juicy meat.
• Coat every cube in the seasoned flour so the broth thickens evenly.
• Low and slow, 10 to 12 hours, gives the most tender results; high works in a pinch.
• Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Variations

• Use a mix of wild mushrooms like cremini, oyster, and shiitake for more depth.
• Add a splash of red wine to the broth for richness.
• Stir in peas or green beans in the last 30 minutes.