Head‑note
Nothing beats the aroma of a pot of beef stew bubbling away on a grey February afternoon. By starting with well‑marbled boneless chuck and giving it a long, gentle braise, you get spoon‑tender meat, velvet‑thick gravy and vegetables that taste like they grew in that broth.
Ingredients
| Amount | Item |
| 1.3 kg / 3 lb | boneless beef chuck, cut into 1‑inch cubes |
| 2 Tbsp | canola oil |
| 2 | yellow onions, diced |
| 3 | cloves garlic, minced |
| 2 Tbsp | tomato paste |
| 330 mL | amber ale (or beef stock) |
| 2 cups | low‑sodium beef stock |
| 1 cup | dry red wine |
| 3 | carrots, peeled & chunked |
Method
- Brown the beef. Pat cubes dry; season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium‑high. Brown meat in two batches (5 min each); remove.
- Build the fond. In the same pot, cook onions 4 min. Add garlic; cook 1 min. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 min until dark red.
- Deglaze & simmer. Pour in ale, scraping up browned bits. Add stock, wine, bay and thyme; return beef. Bring to a simmer.
- Low‑and‑slow. Cover and transfer to a 160 °C / 325 °F oven for 90 min.
- Vegetables & finish. Stir in carrots, parsnips, potatoes. Cook 60 min more until beef shreds with a fork. Adjust seasoning.
Why this works
Chuck is rich in collagen. At 160 °C the collagen melts into gelatin, thickening the broth without flour while keeping the cubes juicy.
