Easy Beef Stew Recipe with Red Wine and Mushrooms

A comforting fall and winter dish that makes the house smell incredible.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time4 hrs 30 mins

Total Time4 hrs 45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: easy beef stew recipe

Servings:

2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes (chuck, sirloin tip or cut of your choice)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
1 bunch carrots
1 Tablespoon Herbes de Méditerranée or Herbes de Provence (without lavender)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
4 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil*
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 pound mushrooms (button, cremini, or wild all work)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Toss beef stew meat in a bowl with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Peel garlic cloves. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add garlic and saute until soft and starting to brown. Remove to a large plate.
Turn heat up to medium and add just enough beef so it's in a single layer. Cook for several minutes on each side, until beef is browned. Do this in batches until all beef is browned. Remove to a plate with the garlic.
While beef is browning, peel and cut onion into thin slices, and scrub and cut carrots into 2-inch chunks.
When beef is browned and removed from the pot, turn the heat down to medium and add cut onion and carrots, Herbes de Méditerranée, tomato paste, and anchovies. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook for 10--15 minutes until it's reduced to 1/2 cup or so.
Add broth, beef, and reserved garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and place in preheated oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until beef is very tender.
Beef stew may be served immediately, or refrigerated for 2-3 days. To rewarm, place in preheated 250 degrees F oven for one hour.
Just before serving, cut mushrooms in half or smaller pieces. Melt butter in a pan and saute mushrooms until golden brown. Add to beef stew just before serving.

*Optional but lends incredible flavor