Beef Brisket Stew

5 from 1 vote

This beef brisket stew combines tender beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich broth, making it a comforting and easy-to-make meal perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beef Brisket Stew Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds beef brisket, point cut - see tips, hard fat trimmed and cut into 1 ½ - 2 inch cubes and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups yellow onions, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces (approximately 2 medium onions)
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces (approximately 16 ounce package)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine, Pinot Noir
4 cups beef stock
1 large dried bay leaf, or 2 small
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon leaves only
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided (2 tablespoons for stew plus 1 tablespoon for garish)
1 ½ pounds golden potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces (approximately 5 large potatoes)
1 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat the beef brisket cubes dry using a paper towel. Season the brisket with salt and black pepper. Gently toss to ensure that all the cubes are seasoned.
In a large (5-6 quart) heavy duty dutch oven or stock pot, on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the brisket cubes. Cook in 2-3 batches, and brown on all sides. This should take 5-6 minutes per batch. Be sure to use tongs to carefully turn the meat cubes as they brown. It is very important to not overcrowd your pot while browning the beef brisket cubes. Depending on the size of your Dutch oven it may take as few as two or as many as four batches when browning the brisket cubes.
Once the beef brisket cubes have browned on all sides, remove from the hot pot and place onto a plate until all the beef brisket cubes are done. Set aside.
To the pot, add the onions, carrots and minced garlic. Cook and brown the vegetables for 3-4 minutes or just until they are starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine with the vegetables. Cook for an additional 1 minute.
Add the browned beef brisket cubes (and their juices) back to the pot and sprinkle with the all-purpose flour. Toss to coat all the beef and vegetables with the flour. Cook the mixture until no dry flour remains.
To the pot of flour-coated beef and vegetables, add the dry red wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring and scraping all the bits off the bottom and sides of the pot (deglazing).
Add the beef stock, dried bay leaf, fresh thyme sprigs and 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley. Stir to combine, being sure to stir out any lumps of flour that may be in the stew.
Bring to a boil, cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven to slow cook for 2 hours. Be sure to turn off the heat to the stovetop burner before transferring the pot to the oven.
After 2 hours of cooking, remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove the lid. Add the cubed potatoes and 1 cup of water to the pot. Stir to fully incorporate the potatoes and water with the rest of the ingredients.
Return the cover to the pot, and return the pot to the oven to cook for another 1 - 1 ½ hours or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Before garnishing and serving this stew, use a large metal spoon to skim off as much of the excess fat that has rendered from the brisket and is sitting on the surface of the stew. Be sure to do this before stirring the liquids in the pot. You will also need to remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving.
Garnish the beef brisket stew with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.

Notes

Cut Uniform Pieces: Make sure to cut the beef brisket and vegetables into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. This helps all the ingredients to cook at the same rate.
Don’t Skip Browning the Meat: Browning the brisket is crucial for developing deep, rich flavors. It also sears the meat and traps the juice inside to it's melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Don't overcrowd the pan: When you sear your beef, it's critical that you cook in a single layer, and work in batches. Otherwise, the beef steams instead of sears. The beef might also steam instead of sear if it's wet, so be sure to dab it dry.
Deglaze Properly: When adding the wine, ensure you scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. These bits add tremendous flavor to the stew, and contributes to the best overall flavor.
Let It Rest: After cooking, let the stew rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together even more.
Stew is too thick: Add a little more beef stock or water while cooking to achieve the desired consistency.
Cook the wine down: Allow the wine to cook down for a minute or two before adding the beef stock. This cooks off the heavy alcohol flavor and allows the rich flavor of the wine to remain.

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