When it comes to comfort food, nothing beats a big bowl of stew. My Minnesota Beef Stew is a favorite around here and a nod to my time spent in Minnesota. I lived in a suburb of Minneapolis for 6 years and frequently visited this local restaurant that had a roaring fireplace, dark and intimate booths and a rustic bar with cow hide bar stools. It was warm and comforting and when the weather was brutal, which was often, this was a wonderful place to spend an evening. They also served these amazing pop overs that I often serve with this dish. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant and I know they closed, but it is a great memory.
I fell in love with that place and Minneapolis, and recreated this recipe to give me that “Minnesota Vibe”. It is loaded with tender chunks of beef and lots of veggies. I use a combination of both fresh and frozen vegetables in this stew and make sure it has tons of flavor from seasoning. It is easy to make, but is cooked low and slow for a couple of hours. It actually tastes even better on days two and three, so making it well in advance makes it great to entertain with too.
I make this stew every year during the winter months (living in California, that’s about two nights a year…LOL) and everyone loves it. This is definitely a comfort food and also a good choice on Super Bowl Sunday…guys will eat bowls of it and be very happy. I add potatoes to the stew but this is also wonderful served over buttered egg noodles. Double down on the carbs and enjoy every bite.
To get started, pull together all your ingredients. I prep my vegetables first: chop your carrots, celery and onion. Finely mince your garlic. Cut your potatoes and peel and cut your carrots if you aren’t using baby carrots. I’ll grab a bag of those baby carrots in the produce department to save some time. Cut your mushrooms in half or slice them. Another time saver is to buy the mushrooms already sliced. Beef mushroom stew is a delicious mix and I’ll often add a lot more mushrooms to really increase that flavor. That’s what makes this stew recipe so great. It is very versatile and you can add, remove or swap any veggies you like. So keep that in mind when checking what you have on hand.
Before you start cooking your beef, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Using paper towel, dry the beef well. You want the meat dry otherwise, it will steam, rather than brown when you add it to the pot. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Toss the beef chunks with flour to lightly coat. One note here: I like to use Wondra flour. It isn’t necessary (all purpose flour works just fine) but Wondra is a finely milled flour that adds the lightest of coats and doesn’t clump. It is my go to flour choice. Once the oil is really hot, add the beef batches. You don’t want to crowd the pan. Let the beef brown on all sides. This will take 5-8 minutes per batch. Turn the beef as needed until browned. Remove the beef to a bowl, add a little more oil if need, and continue browning all the beef.
Once you are done browning the meat, add a tablespoon of olive oil IF NEEDED. It there is still oil in the pot, there is no need to add more. Add the chopped celery, chopped carrots and celery to the same pot. Stir to coat in the drippings. Let cook for several minutes until the veggies start to soften. Add in the garlic and stir into the mix. Cook one minute.
Add the meat and all accumulated juices back to the pot. Add the baby carrots and potatoes. Add in 32 ounces of stock, and the tomato paste. Stir everything to combine. Add the maple syrup, and the seasoning (2 Tsp. thyme, 2 Tsp. rosemary, red chili flakes, bay leaves, a large pinch salt and about 20 grinds of black pepper). Stir to combine. Make sure everything is covered with stock. If not, add more. Bring the mixture to a bubbling simmer.
NOTE: You can easily turn this into a beef and ale stew by substituting some ale or beer for some or all of the stock. Ale will add a different flavor profile to the stew, but this is your stew, so play! You could also add some red wine to the mix. The key here is keeping everything covered with liquid so whether is is pure stock/broth, or a mix of beer or wine, they will all work.
Add your corn and peas. Note, you don’t have to thaw them. You can if you like, but it isn’t necessary. Also add the cut or sliced mushrooms. Note, if I have some frozen pearl onions on hand, I’ll add those two. They aren’t necessary, but I like to add them if I have them. Your choice. I also add in the remaining teaspoon of thyme and teaspoon of rosemary. I taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Bring the stew back a gentle bubble, then lower the heat. Let simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the meat just falls apart and all the veggies are easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
During this time, you want to be sure everything is covered with liquid, so add more stock if needed. I cook this uncovered. Check your meat at the 1 1/2 hour mark and note it can take another 1/2 hour to 1 hour depending on the thickness of your meat.
NOTE: I’ve seen a lot of cooks panic thinking their meat is “tough” or that they’ve “overcooked” the meat. That is not the case. You want the low, slow braise to break down the tendons in the meat. It will break down and fall apart when it is ready, so give it time. Trust me, let it cook until the meat falls apart.
Be sure you taste the stew at that 1 1/2 hour mark. Adjust seasoning if needed (add more salt and pepper). When the stew is tasting great and the meat is really tender, you want to finish the stew by mixing the cornstarch in a small dish with some of the liquid from the pot. Stir to combine and then add it back to the stew. Mix to totally combine and then raise the heat and let the stew come to a bubbling simmer again. Let it cook several minutes to let the stew thicken.
You are now ready to serve it in bowls and finish with some chopped parsley. (Optional) Serve with my fluffy popovers with cinnamon butter and herb butter for the total Minnesota experience. Enjoy.
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, please leave a review and rating below. Did you do anything different in the stew? I’d love to hear how you made it your own.
If you like this warm and comforting stew, be sure to try some of my other “comfort” food dishes:
Rosemary and Pomegranate Beef Stew
Minnesota Beef Stew
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs. Beef Stew cubes
- 2 Tbsp. of flour
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 Chopped Carrots
- 2 Chopped Celery Stalks
- 1 Chopped Yellow Onion
- 3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lb. Bag of baby carrots
- 14 Red baby potatoes cut in half
- 1 Lb. of button mushrooms cut in half
- 2 Cups of Frozen Corn
- 1 Cup of Frozen Peas
- 32 – 48 Oz. of Beef Stock
- 1 6 Oz. Can of tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme (divided)
- 1 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary – crushed in hand and divided
- ½ Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sprinkle 2 Tsp. of Salt and 1/2 Tsp. of Pepper on beef and toss beef cubes with flour.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven on stove. Brown the beef cubes in batches until browned all over. (add olive oil as needed) Remove to a bowl while browning other batches.
- Once all beef has been browned, add one tbsp. of olive oil and sauté the chopped carrots, celery and onion until soft. Then add chopped garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add back the beef and all accumulated juices. Add 32 oz. of stock. Add potatoes and whole carrots. Add can of tomatoes paste and as much stock as is needed to cover everything in pot.
- Add maple syrup, bay leaves, 2 Tsp. of thyme, 2 Tsp. of rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything so it is all incorporated.
- Bring mixture to a bubbling simmer than lower to a low simmer. Add corn and peas and cut mushrooms. I also add the last Tsp. of rosemary and thyme and check for salt and pepper. Cook for about 1-½ hours.
- Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. You may have to add more stock to keep everything covered in liquid.
- Continue to cook until the meat is super tender. This can be 1/2 – 1 hr. longer depending on the size of the beef cubes. Test meat and vegetables for tenderness and seasoning along the way.
- Mix the cornstarch with some warm stock from the pot and stir until it is well combined. Add to the stew and allow the stew to bubble and thicken.
- Serve in big bowls with warm popovers and Cinnamon Honey Butter.
