Nothing beats the winter blues like a hearty beef stew.
Winter should be nothing more than stuffing your stomach and hibernating under some cozy blankets on the couch. But, unfortunately, the real world has other ideas. For those of us who find ourselves frequently venturing outside in below-zero temps, this stew recipe provides some solace.
Packed with savory bits of cubed chuck roast, simmered in a beef broth, and a bit of Guinness, this stew just screams comfort food. The supporting cast alongside the savory beef bits includes your classic stew characters – potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, some peppers, and loads of black pepper. But what makes things especially special is the wild rice.
We’ve dabbled with the unique grass grain before with burgers – and now we’re incorporating the hearty, earthy taste to make this stew really stand out. Follow the steps below for a unique take on a beef stew classic. And don’t forget to serve alongside some rustic bread and homemade butter to complete the meal.
Time You Need
- 10-20 minutes prep
- ~1 and half hours cooking
- Yields: 6-8 servings
What You Need
- ~2 pounds of chuck roast, cut into 1 or ½ inch cubes
- 5 red potatoes, diced
- 2 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 red peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 6 cups of low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of Guinness
- 2 cups of diced tomato
- 1 1/2 cups of wild rice, rinsed
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt, pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp flour
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp dried basil
What You Do
- In a large soup pot, melt butter and heat olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook the beef cubes until browned on each side, about 5 minutes or so. Transfer the beef to a plate, and then add in onion, garlic, carrots, pepper, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until veggies are soft. The add in flour and coat evenly.
- Turn heat to low and cook for another two minutes.
- Pour in the beer and scrape off any bit of meat from the bottom. Stir everything together and bring to a low boil. Cook for another five minutes.
- Add the beef back in along with the seasonings: bay leaf, dried basil, thyme, smoked paprika, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in the beef broth and water, wild rice, potatoes, and diced tomato. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the wild rice and potatoes are soft and tender – about 1 hour. Stir occasionally while cooking.
- Once done, remove bay leaf, and season with any additional salt and pepper.
- Serve warm with shredded cheese for extra comfort and enjoy!