Is It Better to Add Chicken Broth or Beef Bouillon for Beef Stew
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10/28/2007
BEST beef stew I've ever made! I added 3 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder to the flour mixture before browning the beef. I followed the recipe exactly as directed, except I used powdered beef base instead of the cubes and also one jumbo red chopped onion. Also, I made 5 times the cornstarch mixture as I prefer a thicker gravy. As a result, I had to add some salt as there wasn't as much salt in the powdered beef base. Also, if you add the 3 tsp of pepper to the beef before browning, watch how much pepper you put into the stew. Mine has a bit too much kick as a result but it's still excellent! Also, if you use red potatoes and not russet ones, your potatoes won't turn into mush no matter how long you cook them. I learned this from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats". Russet potatoes will dissolve into mush unless you throw them in at the last minute. I cooked my red and yellow golden potatoes for over an hour in this stew and they didn't change shape. BEST STEW RECIPE ON THIS SITE!
10/18/2014
this recipe is great as written. LADIES, NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR CHANGES, , rate the recipe as written, if you have to make changes, submit your own recipe, and let the rest of us form our own opinion.
06/27/2005
The BEST stew (made from scratch & not leftover pot roast) that I have ever had. We ate it over the whole weekend -- first in the Italian Bread Bowls from this site & then in regular bowls with the leftover bread from the insides of the bowls used for dipping. I used the suggestion of substituting a sweet potato in place of one regular potato -- as it cooked I smashed it into the sides of the pot to help thicken the stew. The only other change I made was using about 5 times the amount of cornstarch -- we like our stew very thick. The rosemary definitely makes the flavor of this stew, & I don't normally cook with rosemary. We all loved it in this meal, though, & I won't change a thing next time I make it!
09/29/2006
The ingredients didn't sound terribly exciting, and I was expecting a rather flat tasting stew, but wow! The first bite/slurp surprised me as being incredibly savory, even without large amounts of salt. I did add garlic to the meat as I browned it, and I added a bit of oregano, but otherwise I followed the recipe. I will definitely make this one again!
10/19/2002
This was such a wonderful recipe! I have tried beef stew in the crock pot, but the meat just didn't come out tender enough. In this recipe the meat was melt in your mouth delicious! I added pearl onions which was just a nice other vegetable to throw in. I think you have found the secret to a great beef stew!!
08/30/2006
Great recipe and good to freeze. I made changes based on other reviewers comments and my own tastes...I used 3lbs beef (my hubbie wanted more meat). Used 2 cans of beef broth over bouillon. Used 3 tbl starch/water. Coated the meat in a mixture of 7tbl flour, 2tsp garlic powder and 3tsp pepper. I omitted the celery and added 1 can peas and 1 can corn at the very end. Delicious.
10/23/2005
I thought this stew was wonderful. I noticed that some of reviewers are saying that the stew isn't too flavorful. I took the advice of some of the other reviewers and added wine instead of water. I decided to use all white wine but then I only had 1 ½ cups so I added ¼ cup of red wine. I used the additional ¼ cup to melt the bouillon cubes in. I also added a little more cornstarch to make the stew a little thicker. I thought the stew had a fantastic flavor and it was very easy to make. I will definitely make this stew again!
12/16/2008
HEY! A review that's actually THIS recipe and not altered to something ells! Made as writen. yep its good.
05/21/2002
I made this last night for my husband and myself. We both loved it! I added extra cornstarch (2 or 3 times as much), as well as green beans, corn and italian diced tomatoes all of which came from the can. It turned out excellent. The meat was very tender! Served with cornbread. Will definitely make again.
11/29/2005
I've made this recipe a half dozen times over the past several months, sometimes with beef and sometimes with lamb. I love it. I recommend that you double up on the rosemary, parsley and pepper. I use 2T of cornstarch to thicken. Also, I prefer canned beef broth rather than bouillon cubes, but that's much less salty than the cubes, so if you do that you'll need to add salt (try 2t to start). And remember too that simmer is NOT the same as boil! For beef I use chuck steaks and for lamb I like shoulder chops. Its important, I think, that you process the bones right along with the meat. They add a lot of flavor and texture. Cut the meat from the bones, cube it, and brown and cook both together. You can remove the bones prior to serving or, if no one's looking, you can do what I do and chew on 'em. :)
09/26/2011
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so freaking good never made a beef stew before and i dont normally eat it. i will make this very often takes 2 hours to make but it does not need much attention at all got to catch up on my dvr in that time. i followed some advice and did the baggie with flower, onion, and a garlic and onion mix i bought at home goods chucked the meat in and "shook it baby" that phrase made me laugh. we wanted more juice so we did 2 cans beef broth and 1 can vegatable chucked some wine in there and was set. we only had regular potatoes but they came out fabulous i think the rosemarry was awesome in this gave lots of flavor. am very impressed was put off at first by cooking time but this is great for a lazy cook like me. five stars whooooooooooo!
02/25/2008
This is the second recipe I've tried from this website and it is awesome! I love the flavor the rosemary gives to it. I did tweak it a bit by adding more beef boullion, adding red wine, more cornstarch and omitting the celery. It took me awhile to get the vegetables to cook just right. The first time the potatoes got mushy so I tried to reduce the cook time but then the carrots and onions were undercooked. So I now I add them in stages. I buy a big top round sirloin and cut it up instead of getting the precut stew meat. The butcher said pre-cubed meat comes from the chest and tends to be tougher. The top round sirloin is cheaper, too!
06/12/2002
I didn't like this recipe at all. Maybe I'm just not a stew eater, but I thought the gravy was too thin and the seasonings weren't hearty enough to bring out the flavor of the meats and vegetables. Celery in stew doesn't thrill me either.
02/08/2011
This stew is very good! I did make some changes based on the reviews: Here is what I did. in a bag I mixed flour, garlic powder, garlic pepper, onion powder and roast rub. Put the stew meat in and shook up. I browned the meat until about half cooked. I used a can of beef broth vs the bouillon and water. I also took the advise of another reviewer and added a few shakes of worshire sauce adn a good shake of A-1 steak sauce. I also added a pinch of Fennel...a staple ino our house. Yummy!! I only made a half batch.. and cooked for about 45/50 mintes each round for a total of 1hr 45min.
11/08/2010
Yum! We loved this! I made it in my cast iron skillet and I, like many others, shook up the meat in flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder before browning. I added a bay leaf and some thyme. I also made dumplings by cutting up some refridgerated biscuit dough into quarters and dropped them in the last 20 minutes, covered tightly. Very comforting:)
12/09/2010
Awesome recipe! Made many times now. Family loves it! Used red potatoes so they don't turn to mush if cooked too long also used arrowroot instead of corn starch and used "better then bouillon" beef base from health food store as it contains no msg...otherwise followed recipe! Once I decided to cook onions with meat instead of adding later....big mistake... took longer then normal to get beef tender.
04/08/2006
Great stew recipe! I coated the beef cubes in flour seasoned with a bit of each of these: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper and paprika before browning. Then let the beef, water, boullion and seasonings cook in the crock pot for an hour before adding the veggies (I sauteed the onions before putting them in). Also increased the cornstarch to 4 tsps. Let it simmer in the crock pot for the rest of the day and it was delicious.
08/25/2008
this recipe, there are no words to describe how much i love it if i could give this 10 stars i would. it is VERY good, i did add an extra cup of water/boullion and some corn at the last minute. it reheats wonderfully. im sending this one around to anyone that will take it.
01/20/2010
I added 1 Tablespoon each of Ketchup, Steak Sauce (A1), and Worcestershire Sauce. Also used Red potatoes instead of Russets, to avoid mushy potatoes. I used "Better than Bullion" brand beef bullion (it's semi-liquid) and did add a good bit of cornstarch (mixed with a bit of COLD water!) at the end to thicken it up. This was the best beef stew I've ever tasted, ANYWHERE! I'm holding onto this one. =)
11/03/2011
Instead of chopped onion, I added a defrosted 1 lb bag of frozen pearl onions. I had some baby portobello mushrooms in the fridge, so they were sauteed along with the pearl onions and added to the stew toward the end of the cooking time, along with 3 cloves of chopped garlic. My pkg of stew beef was 3 lbs, so I increased everything accordingly, except for the water (only 5 cups total). I did dredge the stew chunks in some flour when browning. I'm pleased with the way this turned out. UPDATE 11/4/11 I forgot to mention that after I browned the meat, I finished this stew in the crock pot, 5 hours on high.
05/29/2011
Excellent stew. Based on other reviews I also coated the beef in flour, garlic powder, pepper and paprika before browning. I used beef broth and increased amount of vegetables.
01/27/2011
Lots of room to play. Used beef broth instead of the boullion. Will have to try it with lamb for sure! Added Bobby's recommendations of corn and green beans which came out nice. Would've liked some mushrooms and possibly red beans as well... but that might be too much. We'll see what happens.
10/09/2006
This came out great...I did customize it...used a pound of beef and more fresh carrots plus I threw in a can of green beans and a can of corn a few minutes before serving. I always coat my beef in a mixture of flour, a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Also, I used a product called: Better than Boullion, more convenient than the hard cubes...I, like some of the others, like a thick stew so I added 2T. more cornstarch. Rosemary is one of my favorite spices, but next time I will decrease it. I added a bay leaf as one reviewer suggested, great flavor addition...One suggestion: cut carrots very thin, same with celery and potatoes..or else pre cook as another person recommended...First time I made this and cut the carrots in 1 inch chunks as directed, they were hard after 2 hours of cooking. I used six cups of broth as I add lots of veggies. Served with cheesey biscuits once and with a pesto french bread several times...very hearty.
02/12/2006
believe me when i tell you this is a basic stew receipe at best unless it is doctored up. to start i mixed 3 Tbl spoons of all purpose flower with 1/2 tsp of pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder to i coat the meat before browning it in the oil. in the pot i used 4 cubes of bouillon and 1 more cup of water(you can thicken with the flower mixture that didnt coat the meat if you like). in the spices for the broth i added 1/2 tsp of thyme, and 2 bay leaves. finally i added 1 cup of frozen peas, and corn. i never use corn starch to thicken anything, flower with some added spices is much better.
08/03/2011
This stew was really good;) Im so happy I picked this one. I did introduce a few changes, since I live in Egypt and sometimes I cant find certain spices I try to replace them with what I have. I added thyme, a bit of curry, onion powder, meat spices, bay leaves and ketchup. It was so rich in flavor;) yummy;)
12/03/2002
It's pretty good. I recommend using stewing meat with a bit more fat... It's a bit more tender. Lean pieces of meat comes out a bit dry.
07/05/2005
My quest for the 'right' beef stew probably ends here. I had a certain taste in mind that definitely excluded tomatoes, plus I wanted it to be just a little sweet. I followed the recipe and added a little red wine, a shake of thyme, barely a tablespoon of brown sugar, and some grated corn from two frozen ears. Also having peeled two really large potatoes, I decided to leave a fourth of one to mince finely to add as soup thickener at the end, and it actually worked. In fact, it was superb! This is undoubtedly the best beef stew we ever had and my husband and daughters agree! Thanks, Paula, for sharing.
12/28/2005
The best stew recipe yet! I did make some changes from the reviews. First I sprinkled garlic powder and pepper on the meat then sprinkled with flour then I browned the meat. I substituted 1c water with 1c red wine. I also added one bay leaf. Like most people, I had to add a lot of cornstarch for a thicker gravy. I guess it just depends on how you like it. The meat was so juicy and tender I could cut it with my spoon. I also made sure that all the meat were all about equal size so they would cook evenly. Don't know if that worked but the meat was sooo good. The cooking time was also right on for me. Veggies were perfect. My fiance had two helpings as did I. Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow. I now have my Beef Stew recipe I was looking for. Thanks.
01/06/2011
Delicious stew with Chuck's suggestions of coating the meat first and adding ketchup, A1 steak sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. However, and this is why I rated this recipe 4 stars, the cubed potatoes and 1 inch pieces of carrots and celery weren't tender even after 3 hours on the stove. Not including the prep work, the cook time, itself, took 4 1/2 hours. Next time (yes, I plan to keep this recipe), I'll dice the potatoes, slice the carrots, and chop the celery. I'll also add corn and peas. Still, a very good stew!
02/23/2002
Tasted great, and so easy, there was little to do but wait for the cooking time to finish. It was a little soupy though, even though I added extra cornstarch and took the cover off at the end of cooking. Next time I will try adding even more cornstarch or maybe a bit less water.
10/09/2002
I made this last night and my family loved it. The meat was sooo tender. Instead of 2 lbs stew meat I used 1 lb of stew meat and 1 lb of extra lean ground beef. I also doubled the cornstarch. It was a little too runny and soup-like even though I doubled the cornstarch. Next time I make it I will add even more. This recipe is a definite keeper.
10/01/2002
Delicious and simple! The beef was so tender and all the vegetables came together to make a wonderful tasting stew! We added more pepper for additional spice. I will make again and again!
12/28/2012
My husband and I both really enjoyed this stew. I tweaked the recipe a little bit. First of all, I cut it in half, because it's just the two of us. Instead of water and bouillon, I used a carton of beef stock. I also seasoned the meat while it was searing, with salt and pepper. Instead of fresh vegetables, I used a bag of frozen stew vegetables (potatoes, pearl onions, carrots and celery) and cut back on the cooking time by about 20 minutes overall. The meat still turned out nice and tender, the veggies were a bit overcooked so I might wait longer to add them next time if I use frozen again. I also increased the amount of cornstarch - and glad I did too. Even though I halved the recipe, I used 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water. The consistency of the gravy came out perfect. I also added about 1 tsp of gravy master and a bit more salt to taste once it was finished cooking. Delicious - would definitely make this again!
02/14/2007
Great Stuff! Very much like my grandmother's recipe, though she's been known to just peel her carrots and potatoes then slice them in half and throw everything in the pot that way! I love stew done like that but it takes awhile to cook! But this was much quicker--even with all the chopping! I followed the concept of this recipe. Same ingredients same steps, but like so many I modified it to suit personal taste. Basically I reduced the meat (I only had less than a pound in the freezer)and I dredged it in flour mixed with onion powder before browning. I upped the carrots and potatoes, but not the celery or onion. I reduced both of these by half. I used italian seasoning instead of rosemary (all out!), but kept the parsley and pepper. I used all four boullion cubes and about six cups of water. (I think this kept the salty boullion from overpowering everything and was necessary after I upped the veggies. I ended up having more like 12 servings than 10.) And lastly I combined flour and some more water into an old pickle jar and gave it a few good shakes until it was blended and used this as my thickening. I paired the stew with the Double Quick Dinner Rolls from this site and I had to stop teenage boys from licking the laddle!
12/27/2010
This beef stew was very easy to make.However when only cooking for 4 definitely make adjustments.We liked it beefy,so we added a little more beef.Everything cooked up wonderful.Had to play around with the cornstarch to thicken up better..tasted Great?????kudos over again.we will make this again
02/11/2009
I give this 4 stars as written. It's an excellent starter for beef stew but it needs a little more flavor. I read through the reviews and used some of the suggestions and it became a 5 star recipe. I added some ketchup, though next time I might just use tomato paste. I also added some worcestershire sauce and some garlic powder. Also, if you want to stretch this recipe... just add more water and boullion or broth and then add more vegetables. Use my tip below to thicken and you can feed an army from 1 or 2 lbs of beef. I also used flour instead of corn starch because it is what I'm used too and I think it just adds more flavor where cornstarch adds nothing but a thickening agent. Tip to those that have problems making gravy or thickening sauces with flour..... Add flour to cold water in a small container, (my dad taught me to use a baby food jar and that's what I still use today :) Then shake, shake, shake. Then you can pour the flour mixture into whatever it is you are trying to thicken. What I like about this method is that you don't really have to measure the flour and water. Just throw a couple of TBLS of flour in the container. Add enough water to shake it up and make a very thin paste. Then you can add a little bit at a time to your recipe until it gets thick enough to your liking. Then just throw the rest away. Perfect gravy, no lumps, EVERYTIME! Anyway... I know people hate it when you rate a recipe but make lots of changes to it. Just so everyone knows. I made
04/28/2003
I didn't like this dish at all. After adding the corn starch and letting it simmer, it was still too watery. I added 1/3 of a bag of egg noodles which definitely helped thicken it up. However, I felt that it was too soft and mushy (the potatoes completely fell apart) and lacked flavor.
02/15/2010
I only gave it four stars since I made it one time and it was too bland. This second time, I used beef broth and added two small cans of V8. The V8 gives it a little extra flavor along with a cup of wine, a tbl spoon of "Dales" steak sauce, two bay leaves, a little cayenne pepper and a little fresh ginger.
07/07/2011
This is a very good solid recipe for Beef Stew. I will be my go-to recipe
04/10/2012
My husband said this was the best beef stew he's has in his life. I was concerned for awhile, but it was the BOMB! I made a few adjustments: browned the beef shaken in a bag with flour and garlic pepper, used organic garlic broth, and added 3 tbps of butter and 3 tbsp of flour before adding the veggies instead of using yucky cornstarch. I also added an extra half cup of broth, an extra carrot, half potato and stalk of celery. I used a bay leaf instead of rosemary because I don't like my food tasting like Christmas trees. Would totally make this again!
12/01/2010
Exactly what I was looking for. I did increase the corn starch to make a thicker base. Perfect comfort food!
08/07/2007
This was so bland. I will keep looking for another recipe.
12/19/2011
I used someone else's recommendation to coat the beef in 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. I also use 1/2 a cup of red wine in place of some of the water. I added another carrot, potato, celery and used a whole onion. Yum yum.
12/17/2007
I also do the flour, granulated (very strong) garlic, cracked pepper dredge. Throw your meat into this mixture & you won't need the cornstarch step. Even after adding 2 T fresh garlic & 2 bayleaves to step #2 I still find this recipe bland. My husband & kids loved it. The meat was very tender. I don't like celery so threw in a can of drained sweet corn.
02/20/2012
good beef stew recipe. I made this at the soup kitchen where I work. Everybody said it was really good and it was the best stew I made yet.
01/28/2011
This was very good and easy to prepare, It'll become a regular meal for us! I followed the directions as stated. Not sure how much to brown the meat I only browned the outside of the pieces for a few minutes, there was still alittle pink remaining. It came out very tender-perfect. I first served the stew IN homemade Italian bread bowls (recipe from this site) that I had made at the same time and it just seemed "blah"- sort of tasteless. But the second day we ate the stew and pieces of the bread separately, both items were very good. I give it 4 stars because it was a bit more flavorful as a "leftover". I'd like to add that the 2 tsp. of cornstarch does pretty much nothing to thicken it so if you want a thicker soup better increase that part quite abit. UPDATE: I've made this 5 times now (it's simmering as we speak) today I added about 1-1/2 tbsp. of the cornstarch, it's alittle thicker but I may also take the lid off the last 20 min. or so as the author suggests. We raise sheep so I'll be trying this eventually with lamb! Very easy go-to recipe. Too I want to say that to keep costs down and increase the healthiness of this- you could easily use just 1/2 lb. of stew meat rather than the 2 lbs. stated in the recipe. In my opinion that is WAY too much (esp. at $5 a pound!) and I do love meat. Tonight I made it with 1 lb. of meat which was plenty. I do cut up the stew meat into smaller pieces, so the meat does seem pretty plentiful.
01/26/2011
This was so good. The rosemary is a lovely addition. I browned my beef in a little bacon grease instead of oil and then added several glugs of red wine and let the alcohol cook off before proceeding with the recipe. My family really went crazy over this. Thanks for sharing it, Paula!
03/10/2002
This was so easy and it was really good. For more flavor, I added 2 tbs of kitchen bouquet seasoning while browning the beef, a little paprika and a little worchsteschire sauce at the end.
02/06/2007
This recipe is so good and delicious. My husband who is Irish and had many stew going up, he said this is the best stew he had so far. The only thing I did different from the recipe is, like the others, seasoned the meat with garlic powder and pepper before I browned it. I will definately make this stew again.
10/29/2012
So simple & very tasty. Did use fresh Rosemary & Parsley. Also thickened a little more & extra veggies.
04/21/2011
I made this tonight following "Chuck's" alterations and flouring/seasoning the meat first, plus adding extra veggies with the exception of onion, which my husband dislikes. It gets 5 stars for a truly tasty, and truly EASY beef stew! Fantastic! The one thing I would note for the future is that the recipe as written comes out too dry - I needed to more than double the amount of beef stock. But that wasn't a problem, and the recipe is absolutely a keeper. Thank you!
12/19/2013
I've made this recipe several times now, and while the basic recipe is very good, I have always longed for a thicker and richer beef stew and have tweaked it a little every time to achieve that. I nailed it tonight! I have to admit that I went overboard on preparation, so this may not be for everyone. Also, I don't think that the original will yield 10 servings - When I make it, I serve four 1.5 cup bowls for adults and a .5 cup serving for the toddler, with perhaps one adult serving left over. What I did: I split the stew meat, did half per the directions and splashed olive oil,liberal amounts of kosher salt, extra fresh ground pepper and a little smoke flavoring on the other half (made of the larger pieces of stew meat) and grilled it instead of browning it. Then I cut those larger grilled pieces up to mix them back in with the other pieces and then followed the boiling and simmering instructions. At the end of the simmer I transferred everything to the slow cooker and added 2 cups more beef broth and slow cooked for 6 hours. At the end, the cornstarch wasn't gelling the liquid enough, despite doubling, so I sifted a 1/4 cup of flour in and stirred it up to make the thick gravy. Nothing else changed. Absolutely what I was looking for! Smoky slow cooked beef melts in your mouth with a thick gravy for dunking your homemade rolls or biscuits. Stellar.
09/16/2014
Family loved this one! I didn't have celery and had 3lbs of meat instead of 2. I added peas at the end and took the suggestions of some reviewers by adding 1 cup of wine, red potatoes, seasoned the meat with garlic & onion powder and pepper and then sautéed it after dusting in flour. I also used baby carrots, sliced in half. I made this with homemade biscuits and my husband and daughter polished off the leftovers a day later. Definitely a keeper!
12/18/2011
mmmmmmmm! Added peas as well. Delicious!
08/13/2006
Made this for dinner and the husband said it was the best beef stew ever! I did make a couple adjustments. Added salt, pepper, garlic powder, to meat before browning and coated with flour. Also added some red wine, a bay leaf and skipped the corn starch. Thanks for sharing!
01/09/2002
This turned out to the best stew, I've ever made. I timed the recipe by 4(was feeding a fairly large crowd) and still had plenty leftover. I served it with drop cheese biscuits to dunk, oh boy was it delicious. Everyone loved it!!
10/30/2012
One of the best beef stews I've ever made. I added about 1 quart of homemade tomato sauce. It gets better the longer it sits.
02/15/2009
The rosemary is a bad flavor for this stew. I think it would have been good if not for that. It's just a weird flavor and an even weirder smell. Not good.
11/17/2011
VERY good recipe. I did make a few changes: At Meat browning: Coat meat with flour, pepper, and garlic salt. I put one clove of garlic in the warming oil. At first simmer: Substituted half the water for equal amount of beer. I used Alaskan Amber, which is an amber ale. At second simmer: Added 1 can of diced tomatoes and added another half bottle of beer. Overall an extremely good recipe and would be even without the beer. But it did add something to the flavor.
09/23/2014
Absolutely nothing wrong with this recipe! Of course, there will always be some people who don't vary any recipe to suit their own tastes and preferences. I start by frying off a cup each of finely diced onion, carrot and celery in a little butter, with some grated garlic & ginger. this is the base that the browned meat sits on during cooking - it mostly breaks down and adds thickness and flavour to the gravy. I do coat the meat in seasoned flour (2 Tbs each of plain & cornflour, + salt & pepper) before browning and the leftover flour mix gets addad as per this recipe. I still use the chunky cut vegetables, sometimes adding other veges that are in season, like beans, parsnips, sweet potato or baby corn. My recipe always includes a good splash of Worcester sauce and, because people eat with their eyes before the food reaches their mouthe, I always darken the stew by stiring in some Parisian browning essence, a few drops at a time, till the colour is a rich brown. Oh yes, one more suggestion: for a couple of dollars, you can usually find a heat diffusion plate that sits under your pot during simmering. It ensures you get an even amount of heat across the bottom of your pot and definitely helps to avoid sticking and burning. And like all stews and braises, so much better if you can cook it the day before - overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheated for serving.
04/04/2005
This recipe was fantastic - I added red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and more cornstarch, as we like our stews thick. Will definitely make this again. Thanks!
01/27/2002
This is yummy! Next time we'll add more thickening.
11/26/2011
This was the first time I have ever made beef stew, and it turned out perfect. I will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks, Paula!
12/11/2011
This was my first time making stew and it turned out GREAT!!!! I did add 2 tablespoon fulls of ketchup,worcestershire sauce, A-1 sauce, added a little bit of beef stew seasoning, corn, green beans and Wha La!! My kids and boyfriend love it!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
10/26/2012
This was my fist attempt at making stew. Recipe was easy to follow and it tasted great.
09/24/2013
I hated this stew, should of read more of the reviews. I never altered anything and it turned out to be somewhat acceptable soup,.A real dissappointment from the picture which made me give it a go. If there was a 0 star I would of selected.
01/25/2012
This has been my 'go-to' stew recipe for a few years now. We LOVE it! I do dredge my beef cubes in flour/seasoned salt before browning - and I don't have to use cornstarch to thicken b/c of the added flour. I use beef base (instead of beef bouillon) and sub 1/2 cup red wine for part of the water. I add a dash of garlic powder, dry oregano, and a bay leaf. And I add frozen peas for the last 10 minutes of cooking. GREAT recipe!!!
12/19/2005
Awesome!!! I followed some great suggestions to tweak this recipe, (not that I thought it needed it because it was my first time making it...) Instead of boullion cubes, I used 2 cans of beef broth to start off with, and then added another near the end. I used 4 TB. of corn starch to make it thicker. I coated the meat with flour seasoned with salt, and pepper before I browned it. I think this made my broth thick right off from the start. I browned the meat with garlic powder and minced garlic from a jar. After I browned the meat, I simmered in about a cupful of red wine for a minute or two. The only thing I would probably do differently is use a bigger pan! I never liked to cook, but that's before I cooked with wine! :0)
09/17/2014
I made this and found I should have doubled the recipe. My kids loved this dish.
02/06/2013
This is a very good recipe and on my third try at it I made a few modifications. I used 8 cups water, 3 leeks instead of onion, added some white wine, a spoonful of paprika, 2 cloves garlic, tsp of Vegeta, used about 3 tbsp of tapioca starch instead of corn starch, and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I don't like very thick beef stews so to me this came out just right and the wine, paprika, leeks, and garlic added a zesty flavor a somewhat reminiscent of goulash that made this a standout recipe. Excellent!
03/22/2011
This is more brothy than the beef stews I am used to, but it is very good :) I'd make again, my family called it "stoup". Oh, and I didn't have celery, so none in mine, but next time!
09/21/2014
First of all, not nearly enough seasoning.Needed garlic, thyme, more pepper, a bay leaf I will never understand people who completely rewrite the recipe and cooking instructions, and give it five stars. You are supposed to rate ghe recipe as written or submit your recipe as a different dish.
06/18/2011
A good, solid recipe as is.
09/14/2014
It is great. We will add mushrooms next time. I have to make a half recipe to get it to fit in my crock pot, which is large, but not XL. The only downside is that you basically have to pre cook it before you put it in the crock pot.
11/05/2010
A wonderful stew! I used fresh parsley and rosemary and beef stock for bouillon and water. The flavors were great. This is the first time I've made beef stew without tomato of some sort and it wasn't missed at all.
02/26/2012
This was pretty good overall, but the beef itself was really bland. I decided to cook it as per the recipe rather doing what I usually would have done (and what nearly all the reviews said to do), toss the beef in seasoned flour before cooking. All the reviews are right, it needs it. I had beer that I wanted to use so I poured a bottle of beer into a measuring cup and added beef broth to make four cups liquid total. I think I should have used 1 cup beer at most as it had good flavour but was a bit too beer-y. All in all this was a nice recipe and I loved that it didn't have tomato in it, like most beef stew recipes seem to call for!
12/22/2001
This was a fantastic stew!! Everyone loved it. I doubled up on the rosemary the second time I made it, to really bring in that flavor in the potatoes.
10/27/2012
Very good! I used top round roast, cut into one-inch cubes; marjoram in place of rosemary; double carrots; three HUGE potatoes (almost one pound each); an extra cup of bouillon/water. I also dumped in about half of a one-pound bag of frozen peas near the end of the cooking time, and followed Chuck's most-helpful review for seasoning/browning/deglazing. I used a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven, for simmering. At dinnertime when I was getting ready to thicken the stew, I asked my fiance how thick he likes his stew and he said looks good as is, so I didn't add cornstarch. I think the flour from browning the meat and the starch in the potatoes was enough to make a gravy. What I will do differently next time: I planned to put this in the oven at 250 and then be out of the house for a couple of hours. I didn't read the recipe carefully enough to notice that the meat is supposed to simmer for an hour on it's own!! Second, I might simmer the meat before adding the bouillon: add the bouillon when I add the vegetables. The meat was okay but could have been better, so I thought maybe the salt in the bouillon pulled the moisture from the meat. The meat was falling apart, but not fall-apart tender.
12/07/2010
My go-to beef stew. The only alteration I make to this recipe is to add garlic (my husband is addicted to the stuff!) and cook it in my crock pot. I just throw all the ingredients together and let it sit in the crock pot on "high" for four to five hours. I always try to make extra so I can bring leftovers to work during the week, but the entire pot is usually gone in 24 hours. Delish!!!
09/18/2007
Amazingly good! Some of the best stew I've made! I only tweaked it a little. I added some thyme, omitted the onion for dietary reasons, and added double the corn starch. I would go even heavier on the corn starch next time. Other than that, it was simply excellent! Another note is that I used white potatoes which held up very well in the crock pot. I cooked the stew for about 8 hours adding the veggies about half-way through. It came out with the veggies soft-tender and the meat fork tender! What an excellent recipe you provided - THANK YOU!
09/23/2013
This was my first time making stew! It was great! I took some advice from other comments and made a lick you bowl kind of good stew! Thanks! I will make this again!( My 4 yr old did lick the bowl) So extras I added to recipe: 1 extra carrot, celery, potato, sweet potato,red onion, sm turnip, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, sm squirt ketchup, and 3/4 cup red wine. I used more beef broth because I added so many vegetables. I added enough broth to cover the vegetables.( I did this when I added the vegetables...second hour of cooking) I also put the white cooking onion in first let it caramelize with the vegetable oil, then added meat to plastic bag. Put a mixture of the spices and 2 tablespoons white flour. Shake the meat to cover then added it to the big pot. Browned all sides of meat about 4 mins.Also added celery at this time. ( I don't like mine crunchy) Then I added red wine cooked 1 mins then added broth. Simmer 1 hour. Then added the rest of veggies and needed to add a bit more broth to cover veggies. Cooked another 1 1/2 on simmer with lid on. I used about 6 teaspoons corn starch and cold water...did it 3 times in sets of 2...but I wanted thick stew. :) Thanks so much for the great recipe! I served this with warm 3 onion tea biscuits.
10/29/2005
I didn't like this recipe and nor did my family. Super bland and I did doctor it up alot more than the recipe said. I used red wine and water, added lots of garlic, plus salt and pepper. This didn't even help. I wouldn't reccomend this recipe. Sorry.
08/19/2007
I substituted beef broth for the water and bouillon. It was a great classic stew recipe.
08/28/2011
Delicious! I made it in the slowcooker, on low for six hours. I put in double the corn starch and put it on high with some cold water for another half hour. Still not thick enough, but the broth was delicious.
11/06/2005
Love this recipe. I was surprised at how favorful the beef was, even after all that simmering. I used a little more corn starch/water just because the family likes a thick gravy but it was great. No leftovers & I've made it several times. Nov. 2008...still using this yummy recipe. Also works great with venison, simmering in the boullion all but removed that gamey taste.
07/02/2011
I have never been able to make a stew that I like, and I have grown tired of the "packets" of stew mix that just don't taste right. This recipe was delicious and the seasonings were perfect. Easy to make and the meat was very tender.
10/26/2011
amazinggggg!!! perfect!
10/24/2006
This is a superb recipe and highly deserving of the 5 star rating. Im a real dummy when it comes to cooking in general and for me to make this from scratch and actually like it is a miracle. Its a very easy recipe to follow and the results are delicious. Next time I would add 1 cup of peas and/or corn to get some more veggies in there. Once again awesome recipe and it made my whole house smell good. Thanks a bunch!!
01/29/2002
This is the easiest and most delicious beef stew recipe. I have passed it on to all of my friends. We have all made it several times. I can't thank you enough for the recipe.
09/25/2013
This was an awesome beef stew. The meat and vegetables were so tender. I added more water because it looked like there was not enough liquid. This recipe will become a regular staple in my kitchen!
04/22/2006
Great, simple stew recipe that I've used maybe a dozen times. I probably use less oil than called for, and add about 1 tsp garlic powder to the meat and oil right in the beginning for extra flavor. I've had better results letting the meat simmer for 2 hours before adding the veggies rather than 1 hour. Good stuff
11/11/2013
The secret to this as well as any other beef stew is to get a great sear on the meat before adding anything else. I made this exactly as written and it came out perfect. The only thing I would suggest doing differently would be to flour the beef before searing it off, and deglaze the pot with about 1/3 cup red wine before adding the beef broth. Flouring the meat will help thicken the stew without needing as much cornstarch. The flavor is terrific. The stew freezes well too.
01/01/2012
Such a great beef stew recipe! White or golden potatoes are the way to go... they keep their form perfectly. YUM!
12/08/2011
Use beef broth then add salt to taste. Add lima beans, and something more for better flavor / texture. Use more corn starch for thicker consistency
10/03/2006
This stew was very tasty. The rosemary added great flavor. I did make a few small changes...Before browning, I rubbed two cloves of crushed garlic, salt, and pepper into the beef. Also, I added more corn starch because I like very thick stew. TIP: If you add extra cornstarch like me, dissolve a beef granules or a bouillon cube into some water. Then, dissolve the cornstarch into that. It prevents you from losing flavor.
06/07/2011
Great recipe! I made a few changes. After browning the meat in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, I added some beer and followed a few of the other reviews and added A1, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce and simmered for a couple minutes. The meat was super tender!! I added five bouillon cubes, and more potatoes. I also had baby carrots instead of large carrots. I added a can of corn at the end and let it sit a couple minutes.. Still tasted wonderful! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
02/21/2013
Made this exactly as stated, and it was a hit! I think I will try this on the slow cooker next time, for some real tender beef.
08/25/2012
This is a great recipe to start from. After reading some reviews, I made a few changes to give it some more flavor. I first mix the beef in a ziplock gallon bag with 1/2 cup flour and 1 tbs each of garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. I then brown the meat and deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of wine. I add it all to a crock pot where I had dissolved 2 cubes of beef bouillon with 32oz beef broth instead of water. I also add 1 tbs each of ketchup, A1, and Worcestershire sauce. I also add my spices, rosemary, parsley, and celery seed. When it was time to add the veggies, I add whatever I have, red potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, etc. If I want a thicker gravy I add cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water to the stew. I've made this recipe for years now and its always a hit.
01/27/2012
This beef stew is so amazing and the best so far. The taste is very good and it's so easy to make. My hubby and kids liked it so much. Many thanks for the recipe Paula! =)
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Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/25678/beef-stew-vi/
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