In all truth, I'm not much of a fan of beef stew...it just has never done it for me. But, this one was delicious and also one of those that gets even better with time- meaning I ate it 3 days after it sat in the fridge and it was amazing. Note- it bakes for 1.5 hours in the oven so prepare in advance!
Whole30 Beef Stew
- 2 lbs stewing beef - cut into 1" cubes chuck, shoulder, bottom round, or rump all work here
- 2 med-sized onions - quartered
- 4 celery stalks - chopped into 1" pieces
- 3 carrots - chopped on a bias into 1" pieces
- 2 parsnips - cubed (optional- I didn't use b/c I don't like them)
- 227 gr button mushrooms - quartered
- 7 cloves garlic - smashed
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 L chicken or beef stock
- 8-10 baby white potatoes - quartered
- salt and pepper
- avocado oil
- fresh parsley - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Pat meat very dry with paper towel and season both sides with salt.
- Add 1 tbsp avocado oil to a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over high heat. Add beef to pot and brown in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot. Transfer browned beef to a bowl. **Note: if you’re beef does not brown it is because a) you did not dry the meat b) the pot is not hot enough c) you overcrowded the pot and are causing the beef to steam d) all of the above.
- If required, add an additional 1 tbsp avocado oil to the pot. Add onion, celery, carrot and parsnips. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook an additional 60 seconds.
- Add paprika and smoked paprika and cook an additional 45-60 seconds. Return browned beef to pot along with stock, potatoes and bay leaves. Bring everything to a boil, season with black pepper, cover with lid and transfer to 350F oven for 1.5 hours.
- Remove from oven, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. If the meat is still tough, return to oven for an additional 30 minutes, then check again.
- Serve and garnish with fresh parsley.
