Here is my recipe for slow cooker beef stew.
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs of Chuck Roast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup of All Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2-3 Onions, cut into bite size pieces
4-5 Potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup of Red Wine
5 Carrots, cut into bite size pieces
4-5 Stalks of Celery, cut into bite size pieces
4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of Tomato Paste
3-4 cups of Beef Broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 Bay Leaves, dried or fresh
1 Tbsp of Fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp of Fresh Rosemary, minced
2 cups of Frozen but thawed Baby Peas
2-3 Tablespoons butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cornstarch (if required to thicken the stew)
Add the oil to a large pot and preheat it over high heat until the oil is so hot that it starts to smoke a little. Add the beef and cook it for a few minutes or until seared well on all sides. Remove from the pan and place in slow cooker. Turn on slow cooker to high to allow it to warm up.
To the same pan add a couple Tablespoons of butter, and add one small onion, one celery stalk, and a few cloves of garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown.
Reduce heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme and the wine. Simmer for a few minutes using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan to lift off all those browned bits.
Pour the mixture over the beef in the crock pot, stir well. Add bay leaves, a couple cups of beef broth, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 1-2 hours, checking on it periodically.
Add your remaining vegetables that are cut into bigger bite size piece. Onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Stir well. Add more beef broth if necessary. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. After a few hours taste for seasoning and adjust if you feel necessary.
Add additional salt, pepper, garlic and Worcestershire sauce until it is seasoned the way you like it.
Check the stew and determine if you feel it needs to be thickened. If it does mix a few ounces of beef stock and a few Tablespoons of stew gravy to a bowl. Mix in a couple spoonfuls of corn starch and stir. Add mixture to slow cooker and stir in.
Last step is to stir in the frozen peas. Let cook for around ten additional minutes or until the peas are heated up.
Serve in bowls with fresh bread for a wonderful hearty and delicious meal the whole family will love.
Click the video below to see the whole process, step by step.