Oven-Braised Beef Stew with Potatoes, Mushrooms & Peas

Directions

1. Heat the oven and season the beef

   Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Pat the beef very dry, then toss it with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pepper and flour until no dry flour remains. Dry beef browns; wet beef steams.

2. Brown the beef in batches

   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Add half the beef in one uncrowded layer and brown for 7 to 9 minutes, turning to color at least three sides. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining oil and beef. The centers will still be raw.

3. Brown the mushrooms

   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms to the empty pot and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until they release their moisture and develop golden edges. Transfer them to the plate with the browned beef.

4. Build the aromatic base

   Add the onion, celery, carrots and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring and scraping the browned surface, until the onion softens. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens slightly.

5. Deglaze with wine

   Pour in the red wine and bring it to a boil. Scrape the bottom thoroughly with a wooden spoon, then boil for 4 to 5 minutes, until reduced by about half and the harsh alcohol aroma has softened.

6. Start the covered braise

   Return the beef and its juices to the pot. Add the stock, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaves. Bring just to a simmer, cover tightly and transfer to the 325°F oven for 75 minutes. The liquid should move gently rather than boil hard.

7. Add the potatoes and mushrooms

   Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the potatoes and browned mushrooms, keeping most pieces below the liquid. Cover and braise for 45 to 60 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and a fork twists easily in the beef. For both safety and the collagen breakdown that makes chuck tender, the beef should be well above 145°F and generally near 195 to 205°F.

8. Finish the gravy and peas

   Discard the bay leaves. Set the uncovered pot over medium-low heat, stir in the frozen peas and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, until the peas are hot and the gravy lightly coats a spoon. If the stew is too thick, add stock 2 tablespoons at a time; if thin, simmer uncovered a few minutes longer.

9. Rest and serve

   Remove the pot from the heat and rest the stew for 10 minutes so the gravy settles. Taste for salt and pepper, fold in the parsley and ladle into wide bowls with visible beef, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and peas in every serving, matching the photographed dish.

Why this works

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

• Replace the red wine with 1 cup additional beef stock plus 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar; add the vinegar with the stock rather than reducing it alone.
• Small red potatoes can replace Yukon Golds. Cut them to the same 1 1/4-inch size and do not use russets, which can collapse into the gravy.
• For a gluten-free stew, omit the flour and stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water with the peas; confirm the Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free.

Cook notes

• Choose a well-marbled chuck roast rather than packaged stew meat, which often contains mixed cuts that become tender at different rates.
• Use a dry wine you would drink. Sweet cooking wine adds both sugar and excess salt and makes the finished gravy taste muddy.
• The stew is even better the next day. Chill it, lift off any solidified surface fat, then reheat slowly to 165°F without aggressively stirring the potatoes.

Storage

Cool the stew in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until every portion reaches 165°F; add a splash of stock if the gravy has tightened. Freeze for up to 3 months, although the potatoes will soften slightly after thawing overnight in the refrigerator.

Questions