The Best Crock Pot Beef Stew

I present to you a recipe for the best beef stew I have ever had... thick, meaty with wonderful taste plus it's simple and easy to make. I love beef. I like pork and chicken but I LOVE beef. Too much Iowa in me I guess. While it's still winter here, it's a great time for a easy slow cooker beef stew.


Rating

An easy 5. We loved it with seconds all around.
 
I started with an American Test Kitchen recipe but I think it is unrecognizable now. It would feed a large army. I wanted only the small army size please (read "For Two with left overs"). Also, a lot of fuss as usual from Cooks Illustrated. I keep a little fuss at the beginning that I though would enhance taste with browning the onion but I used the time to cut the other veggies and trim the meat so really no extra time, just one dirty pan. You could probably skip this extra work and just dump the ingredients in but I think the taste was great and I'm not change a bit.

Notes
About 30 minutes of prep time and an 8 hour cooking time. If you want, use 3 lbs of a leaner beef you want healthier. Or buy that pre-cut "stew meat" at the store if you're lazy.

Mince onion. Prep garlic. Heat oil over medium high heat in large nonstick pan to a shimmer. Add onion, garlic, tomato paste and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until onions are soft and lightly browned. About 10 minutes

While #1, scrub potatoes and cut into chunks. Peal carrots and cut into 1/2 inch thick medallions. Trim meat of any trim-able solid fat and then cut into about 1 inch chunks

When onion is ready, add beef broth to pan and scrap any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add all ingredients except the peas to the crock pot, stir well and set to 8 hours on low. At hour 7, add frozen peas.

The Best Crock Pot Beef Stew

by Dan Mikesell March 4, 2011

I present to you a recipe for the best beef stew I have ever had... thick, meaty with wonderful taste plus it's simple and easy to make. I love beef. I like pork and chicken but I LOVE beef. Too much Iowa in me I guess. While it's still winter here, it's a great time for beef stew.

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch chunks1 tbs vegetable oil 3 medium onions, minced6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed3 oz tomato paste14 oz can low-sodium beef broth1 lb red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks4-6 carrots, pealed cut into 1/2 inch medallions1/4 cup soy sauce2 tbs Minute tapioca2 bay leaves1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves1 tsp salt1/2 t pepper 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Instructions

1) Mince onion. Prep garlic. Heat oil over medium high heat in large nonstick pan to a shimmer. Add onion, garlic, tomato paste and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until onions are soft and lightly browned. About 10 minutes. 2) While #1, scrub potatoes and cut into chunks. Peal carrots and cut into 1/2 inch thick medallions. Trim meat of any trim-able solid fat and then cut into about 1 inch chunks. 3) When onion is ready, add beef broth to pan and scrap any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.4) Add all ingredients except the peas to the crock pot, stir well and set to 8 hours on low.5) At hour 7, add frozen peas.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 8 hour Total time: 8 hour 30 mins Yield: 10

Updated

January 21 2013

Dan Mikesell