I love a good beef stew when the weather is cold. Especially when the meat is tender enough to cut it with a fork. I love this beef stew because the hoisin sauce (which is a Chinese dipping sauce and can be found in the Asian section in your local supermarket) gives it a great flavor.
In the picture above, the stew is in a bowl by itself, which is awfully delicious, but sometimes I like to serve it over egg noodles.
This is a good dish to cook if you want something simmering on the stove for a while, because it takes a couple of hours to complete since it cooks on low for a long time. The longer you cook this, the more tender the meat becomes. If you think you’re finished cooking the recipe and the meat is a bit tough, keep cooking it on low. The meat should eventually get so soft that you can easily cut it with a fork.
I usually make this recipe on the stove, but have occasionally made it in my crock pot which works just fine. If you want to cook it in a crock pot, you still need to brown the meat and onions in a pan. Once you add the liquid to the recipe, the whole thing can be thrown into the crock pot. Your home will smell great while this is cooking!
Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 20024 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 bay leaves1 pound slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsleyHeat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot in batches; sauté all of the meat until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Put meat in a separate bowl. If there is a lot of liquid left in the pan, dump it. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons of oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 45 – 60 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.
Yield: 8 servings
[print_link}
Dear SC,
My better half made this last week and it was delicious and hardy. I has it on a bed of noodles with a nice full-bodied cab with a hint of black cherry and pear. I can’t wait to have it again. Dan from Stockton, NJ
I just love cooking with my crock pot especially in this cool weather we are having. Thanks for the great post and ideas!
I made this last night and added a few new potatoes and spinach (all leftovers from the farmers market). Also, I simmered it in the oven between 325 – 350 for a couple of hours. It was great to have dinner cooking while I set up for our party.
We came to Dan and Bill’s house for dinner, and the only thing better than the view was the beef stew. Absolutely delicious! Looking forward to making it at home.
Thanks Mary. I’m so glad you liked the stew. This is my all-time favorite stew recipe.
-Diane
Diane have you ever made this with lamb?
Hi Willy,
I have never made this with lamb, and I’m actually not sure how the strong flavor of lamb would do with the sauce. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it is.
Diane
This recipe is fabulous – in fact, I think it is the best recipe I have ever made in my slow cooker. Very easy to make, the house smelled wonderful, and it is very tasty. Thanks!
Hi Diane!
I’m making this stew for Christmas again (I’ve made it three or four times before, and my husband loves it so much!) This time, to reduce prep time, I’m going to cook it on Christmas Eve.
My question is this: can I double the recipe? We’re having more guests this year.
Thanks!
Lindsay R. (Lauren’s friend)
Hi Lindsay,
You can definitely double this recipe. I have doubled it for dinner parties with no trouble at all. A friend made this last week and invited me over for lunch – it was delicious.
Have a very merry Christmas!
Diane
Thank you
I haven’t made this in forever, but this cold, snowy Sunday seemed like the perfect day for it. I’ve been looking forward to it all weekend!