Equipment
Ingredients
Beef Stew Base
- 800 g beef chuck roast, cut into 5cm pieces
- 30 g plain flour
- 5 g salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 ml vegetable oil
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, chopped into thick chunks
- 2 celery, sliced thick
- 3 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
Braising Liquids and Herbs
- 750 ml beef stock
- 30 ml worcestershire sauce
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Mashed Potatoes
- 1000 g floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 100 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 100 ml whole milk, warmed slightly
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 818 kcal
- Protein
- 57 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 2667 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 190 mg
- Potassium
- 2594 mg
- Calcium
- 241 mg
- Iron
- 14.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 141 mg
- Phosphorus
- 657 mg
- Zinc
- 18.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 830 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 47 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 27 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.62 mg
- Niacin
- 14.0 mg
- Folate
- 105 mcg
- Water
- 741 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Thoroughly pat the pieces of beef chuck dry with paper towels on a dedicated meat cutting board to prevent cross-contamination.
Toss the dried beef in a large bowl with the plain flour, salt, and black pepper until every piece is evenly coated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding, turning until deeply browned on all sides, then transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the residual beef fat in the pot, cooking for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for a further 2 minutes.
Pour a small splash of the beef stock into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom.
Return the seared beef to the pot along with the remaining beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on very low heat for 2 hours until the beef reaches an internal temperature of 93°C/200°F.
Remove the lid for the final 30 minutes of braising to allow the cooking liquid to reduce and naturally thicken into a rich gravy.
While the stew is reducing, place the peeled potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold salted water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the empty, hot saucepan over low heat for 1 minute to gently steam off any lingering surface moisture.
Add the cubed butter and warmed whole milk to the dried potatoes. Mash vigorously or pass through a ricer until completely smooth, then season generously with salt to taste.
Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the stew pot. Ladle the hot beef stew and its thick gravy generously over large portions of the warm mashed potatoes.
Chef's Notes
- Searing the beef in batches is absolutely crucial. Overcrowding the pan lowers the temperature, causing the meat to release its juices and steam rather than developing a deeply flavored Maillard crust.
- Using floury potatoes like Maris Piper, King Edward, or Russet ensures a fluffy mash. Waxy potatoes like Charlotte or red potatoes will result in a heavy, dense puree that turns gummy easily.
- Allowing the boiled potatoes to steam dry in the hot pan for a minute after draining removes excess water weight. This allows the potatoes to absorb the butter and milk properly instead of becoming watery.
- The collagen in tough cuts like chuck roast breaks down most effectively around 93C (200F). A long, low, and slow simmer is the paramount secret to meat that truly melts in the mouth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the beef stew and mashed potatoes in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — The beef stew freezes excellently. Freezing the mashed potatoes is not recommended as the texture may become watery upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat the stew gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop until simmering. Reheat mashed potatoes in a saucepan with a splash of milk to restore creaminess.
Troubleshooting
Tough or chewy beef
Cause: The stew has not braised for long enough to adequately break down the connective collagen in the chuck roast.
Fix: Cover the pot and continue simmering on low heat for an additional 30 to 45 minutes until tender.
Prevention: Ensure you budget enough time for a slow, gentle simmer rather than rushing the cooking process at a higher heat.
Thin, watery gravy
Cause: Too much stock was added initially, or the lid was kept on the pot for the entirety of the cooking time preventing evaporation.
Fix: Simmer uncovered vigorously for 10 minutes. If still thin, whisk together equal parts cold water and cornstarch, stir into the stew, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Prevention: Always remove the lid for the final portion of the braise to encourage moisture reduction.
Gluey or gummy mashed potatoes
Cause: Overworking the potatoes by excessive mashing or using waxy potatoes instead of floury varieties.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. However, folding in a handful of grated sharp cheddar can mask the textural flaw.
Prevention: Use a potato ricer or hand masher and mix only until the dairy is just incorporated.
Cultural Context
Beef stew with mashed potatoes is a cornerstone of traditional British pub fare and hearty home cooking. Evolving from medieval slow-cooked pottages, modern beef stews rely on root vegetables and robust beef cuts slowly braised to stretch inexpensive ingredients while maximizing savory depth, representing the quintessential winter comfort food.
