The Best Slow-Cooked Beef Stew

A cast iron beef stew rich with red wine, rosemary, and slow-coaxed sweetness. The kind that fills the whole cabin with warmth before you've even tasted it.

Ingredients

• 2½ lbs beef chuck roast, cut into generous chunks
• 2 large onions, roughly chopped
• 4 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 parsnips, cut into chunks
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2 cups good beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Fresh thyme, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs
• Salt, pepper, and oil for searing

Instructions

1. Season beef aggressively with salt and pepper.
2. Get your cast iron screaming hot with oil and sear the beef in batches — don't crowd the pan. Set beef aside.
3. Soften onions in the same pot for 15 minutes until jammy and golden.
4. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes.
5. Pour in wine and reduce by half, scraping up all the browned bits.
6. Return beef, add stock, vegetables, and herbs.
7. Bring to a gentle simmer, lid on, and place in a 325°F oven for 2½ hours until the beef falls apart at the touch of a fork.
8. Season to taste and serve with crusty sourdough or mashed potato.
9. Variation — slow cooker, ready when you come in from the cold: Use 2 lbs beef chuck in 1½-inch cubes, 3 cubed Yukon gold potatoes, 4 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, 1 chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 cups beef broth, a 6 oz can of tomato paste, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 tbsp flour.
10. Toss the beef in the flour with salt and pepper.
11. Layer the vegetables in the slow cooker and add the beef on top.
12. Whisk the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire and thyme together and pour over everything.
13. Cook on LOW 8–9 hours or HIGH 4–5 hours.
14. Stir before serving — crusty bread is a must.