While waiting for my morning coffee to brew, I hopped onto youtube. I was still contemplating on going back to bed, when I remembered that I had some vegetables that I needed to do something with. I scoured through my freezer and found some beef cubes.

I've posted several recipes for stews in the past, but I wanted to try something different this time to make the sauce thicker and the beef more tasty. My issue is the beef dries out.

So, I watched about four or five channels (which I will link below) and decided to try a combination of their methods.

Here is my new recipe for Hearty Beef Stew. The perfect dish for a balmy winter day. The slow-cooker is already on and my condo is filling up nicely with a blend of aromas.

Note: I used a beef bouillon cube instead of beef stock as I didn't have any on hand. I also opted to use water instead of red wine which many folks use for stews. I also used all fresh veggies for this recipe, cut into small pieces or slices. With exception of frozen corn that I added last.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of beef stew chunks
  • 3 celery stalks cut into tiny pieces
  • 2 cups of mushrooms
  • 2 cups of potatoes (I used mini potatoes)
  • 2 cups of zucchini cut into think half slices
  • 1 cup of corn
  • 2 cups of sliced or baby carrots
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cups of water and 1 bullion cube OR 4 cups of stock
  • 2 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • 2-3 tsp vegetable oil
  • Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf

Stock Prep

  • Turn your slow-cooker onto low heat
  • Add in four cups of water and bullion cube (or stock and water)
  • Add in tomato paste and whisk together, cover with lid

Beef and Stew Prep

  • In a bowl, mix the flour and beef together. You can add seasoning here as well, salt, pepper and I added a pinch of red chili flakes.
  • Next, you're going to fry up the beef just slightly. Using a good sized skillet, add a few drops of vegetable oil into the pan and heat up the pan (medium heat).
  • Add in the meat and flour mixture. Let simmer for a 2-3 minutes or until the meat is slightly brown.
  • Pour the meat into the slow cooker.
  • Next, you're going to fry up the onions and mushrooms until soft. You can add some seasoning here too. This should only take a couple of minute on medium heat. When finished, pour the onions and mushrooms into the slow-cooker and mix well.
  • Add in the rest of the vegetables (except the frozen corn – that will come later).
  • Add seasoning as desired.
  • Optional: add in milk to help thicken up the stew sauce.
  • Cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. The frozen corn only needs a few minutes to cook. You can also add in peas or green beans.

Fork Tender Beef

To maximize the flavour of the beef, marinate it in the fridge over night. You can also use a meat tenderizer to "pound" it. Here's a good video I go to for this. I highly recommend marinating beef ahead of time – or sometimes it will come out very tough. This is a must if you're serving your stew to company. Tenderizing is quite easy if you plan ahead… which I DID NOT do this time around. I did however, let the meat sit in the flour for a bit. I'm hoping that frying up the beef with the onions and blood from the beef will help with this.

Pictures forthcoming. I'll post progress pics as the stew cooks. Going to be a long afternoon!

Check out these YouTube channels for more cooking tips:

  • One Pot Chef
  • All Recipes
  • Laura Vitale
  • Food Wishes

Who are your favorite YouTube chefs and personalities for cooking tips? Let me know below!

Check out my What's Cooking page for more easy recipes and all things related to cooking!