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This braised Cozy Beef Stew is the perfect thing on a cold and crisp, chilly night. Add everything to a pot, stick it in the oven and forget it. Instant pot and slow cooker instructions included. Serve this with an endive salad and miso chocolate chip cookies for a delicious night.
Ingredients for this Cozy Beef Stew
- Chuck stew meat – This is super affordable meat that really needs to be braised. I usually go for the grass-fed variety. You could also use a chuck round and chop it up into bite-size pieces.
- Soy sauce – You can use red wine for this recipe if you like but I love the savory flavors of soy sauce in a beef stew.
- Tomato paste – This gives this stew a very earthy, slightly sweet flavor.
- Delicata squash – I love delicata because there’s no need to peel it. Easy! You can swap this out with another vegetable if you like.
- Carrots – I love the sweetness they add to a very savory dish.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer below to the recipe card!
Instant Pot vs. Slow Cooker vs. Oven
You can make this all sorts of way.
- In an Instant Pot, it’ll take you about 45 minutes on a high setting.
- For the slow cooker you’ll want to stick it in there for about 6 hours on low.
- And in the oven it’ll take 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
How to Make Cozy Beef Stew
- Season the meat with kosher salt. I also like to toss the beef with flour. I sometimes do this and sometimes I don’t. It all depends on my laziness.
- Sear the beef on both sides. This will give the meat a nice crust.
- Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside. Next, saute the onions, spices, garlic and tomato paste. This will make a nice base.
- Pour in the soy sauce and beef broth. Add the meat back in and transfer it to the oven for about 3 hours.
- At the 3 hour mark, remove the lid and add in the delicata squash and carrots. This really makes it so they’re the best texture (not too over cooked).
- Serve it over a bed or polenta, fluffy mashed potatoes or with a crisp caesar salad.
Marinade for Beef Stew!
I love stewed beef recipes. Enter: lomo saltado, pot roast, and birria. The soy sauce, beef broth, spices and tomato paste, gives this beef stew a really savory, delicious flavor.ย And the cubes of delicata squash add such a nice sweetness to the dish. I served it over the creamiest cauliflower puree that kept the dish feeling light and delicious.
Tips and Tricks
- Different cuts of meat: Chuck stew is the most common for braising. This cut of meat has a lot of connective tissue and this allows for a lot of moisture in the braising process.
- Coating the meat in flour – This contributes to a nice crust on the meat. I sometimes do this, depending on my laziness lol.
- Braising vs. Stewing – The only difference is the size of the meat. When you braise a cut of meat, it usually refers to a large cut of meat like a pot roast. Stewing refers to small cuts of meat.
What to Serve with this Stew
This beef stew deserves a whole spread.
- Endive Salad or this Fall Harvest Salad
- Baked Brie Dip with Delicata Squash
- Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
- Easy Apple Cobbler
If you tried this Cozy Beef Stew or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cozy Beef Stew Recipe
Cozy Beef Autumnal Stew is the perfect thing for a cold day. This beef stew borrows flavors from lomo saltado and is on a bed of cauliflower mash.
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or 4-quart Dutch oven
Ingredients
Cozy Beef Stew:
- 1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meatย
- Kosher saltย
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, (optional step!)
- 1 tablespoon olive oilย
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground sweet paprikaย
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and mincedย
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups beef brothย
- 1 delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out and sliced into moon shape-slices (about 1-inch thick)ย
- 1 pound of small baby potatoes, (you could also use carrots)
Creamy Cauliflower Puree:
- 1 head of cauliflower, florets removed
- 2 tablespoons unsated butter
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Micro greens or minced Italian parsley, as garnish
Instructions
For Pot Instructions:ย
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle the cubed up stew meat with salt on both sides. Next, add a bit of flour to a shallow plate and dip each piece of meat into the flour, dusting off any excess.ย This step is optional but good if you're looking for a nice crust on the meat.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the pieces of meat, in batches, until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and repeat until youโve worked through the meat. This took me about 10 minutes.ย
- Add an additional teaspoon or two of oil, if needed. Next, add the onion, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, coriander, dried oregano and a few pinches of salt. Mix together until onions are slightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the garlic and then pour in the soy sauce and using a spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan, getting up any bits.ย
- Pour in the beef broth and add in the reserved seared meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven to cook for about 3 hours. I like to check it at the 2 hour mark and add any more broth, if necessary.
- At the 3 hour mark, add in the delicata squash and potatoes (or carrots) and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Give the sauce a taste (it'll be hot) and add any additional salt, if needed. Serve with creamy cauliflower mash (below), regular mashed potatoes or polenta.
To Make the Creamy Cauliflower Mash:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the cauliflower florets and cook until very tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and run the cauliflower under cold water. To a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix), add the ghee and then top with the cauliflower. Pulse until mostly smooth, about 1 minute, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed. Pulse on high for about 2 minutes, until silky smooth, adding a teaspoon or two of ghee, if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend once more until combined.
- When the pot roast is ready, pour the cauliflower in a pot and warm over low heat. Divide between bowls and top with a spoonful of the stew. Garnish with microgreens or minced Italian parsley.
Notes
Tips and Tricks:
- Different cuts of meat: Chuck stew is the most common for braising. This cut of meat has a lot of connective tissue and this allows for a lot of moisture in the braising process.
- Coating the meat in flour – This contributes to a nice crust on the meat. I sometimes do this, depending on my laziness lol.
- Braising vs. Stewing – The only difference is the size of the meat. When you braise a cut of meat, it usually refers to a large cut of meat like a pot roast. Stewing refers to small cuts of meat.
Nutrition
Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 882mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1689IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!
To do this recipe in a Instant pot (45min) is that referring to the pressure cook function? Also should I throw everything in including the potato’s and carrots for the whole 45min?
hi! yes it’s the pressure cook function on *high*. I would actually not add them in at the same time or else they’ll turn to mush. You can add them at the end and pressure cook them for about 5 minutes.