old fashion beef stew

Here’s a classic old-fashioned beef stew—slow-simmered, hearty, and the kind grandma used to make 🥩🥕🥔

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🥘 Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients (serves 4–6)

• 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp oil or butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: 1 cup peas (added at end)

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Instructions

1. Coat the beef
   • Season beef with salt and pepper.
   • Toss with flour until lightly coated.
2. Brown the meat
   • Heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
   • Brown beef in batches; don’t crowd the pan.
   • Remove beef and set aside.
3. Build flavor
   • In the same pot, sauté onion until soft.
   • Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
   • Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
4. Simmer
   • Return beef to pot.
   • Add broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
   • Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
   • Cover and simmer 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Add vegetables
   • Add carrots, potatoes, and celery.
   • Simmer another 30–40 minutes, until vegetables and beef are tender.
6. Finish
   • Remove bay leaf.
   • Stir in peas if using; cook 5 more minutes.
   • Adjust seasoning.
7. Serve
   • Serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits.

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Old-Fashioned Tips

• Chuck roast gives the best flavor and tenderness.
• Low and slow is key—don’t rush it.
• Stew tastes even better the next day.

If you’d like, I can also give you a very old farmhouse version, a slow-cooker method, or a no-tomato version like some grandmas made.