Autumn Beef Stew
Tender chuck roast simmers with pumpkin puree, honey nut squash, carrots, and potatoes in a savory balsamic and herb broth until thick and gravy-like. The coziest fall dinner.
Ingredients
For the Stew
- 3 lbs stew meat chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 yellow onions diced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tbsp anchovies finely minced
- 6 ribs celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar plus more for finishing
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 quart beef bone broth
- 1 bundle fresh thyme
Vegetables & Pumpkin
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 very large carrots cut into chunks
- 1-2 cups honey nut squash cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 lb baby red potatoes quartered
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and toss lightly with the flour. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in two batches until lightly browned on all sides (it will not be cooked through). Remove and set aside.
- Add the onions and celery to the pot with a sprinkle of salt. Saute about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the rosemary, anchovies, and garlic. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the soy sauce.
- Return the beef and any juices to the pot. Add the broth and the thyme bundle. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef begins to get tender.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree. Add the carrots, honey nut squash, potatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fork tender.
- Uncover and simmer until the broth reduces to a rich, gravy-like consistency, about 15 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt, then add a small splash of balsamic vinegar at the end to brighten the flavor.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with buttered sourdough toast.
Video
Notes
The anchovies melt away completely and just add savory depth, no fishiness. They stand in for Worcestershire sauce.
Use only 1 cup of pumpkin puree so the flavor stays subtle. Freeze leftover puree for other recipes.
Hold most of the salt until the vegetables go in, since broth saltiness varies.
If the stew is still thin at the end, simmer uncovered longer until thick and gravy-like.
