Savory Herb-Infused Beef Stew

Why This Savory Herb-Infused Beef Stew Works

At the start, the beef cubes hit hot oil and brown on the outside. That browning gives the meat a deeper taste and also builds little browned bits on the bottom of the pot. When the onions and garlic go in, they loosen those bits and soak up some of the beef juices, so everything starts to taste like it belongs together.

As the stew simmers, the long, slow heat is doing most of the work. The tough parts in the beef chuck slowly break down, so the meat that started out chewy becomes tender and easy to bite. At the same time, the potatoes and carrots soften and give off some starch into the broth. Over time the liquid goes from thin and brothy to thicker and more stew-like, without adding flour.

While everything bubbles gently, the thyme, rosemary, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce spread through the pot. By the time the peas go in at the end, the stew is already thick and the meat is soft, so the peas just warm through and stay a little firm instead of turning mushy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the beef go into the pot wet and crowded keeps it from browning and makes it steam instead. The cubes turn gray and tight on the outside, and the stew ends up with a flat, slightly boiled taste and a thinner, greasier broth instead of a rich, deep base.

Using high heat once the broth is in can cause the liquid to boil hard the whole time. The beef fibers tighten and turn stringy, the potatoes start to break apart, and the stew can go from chunky to mushy with a greasy layer on top.

Adding the potatoes in huge chunks or in tiny dice throws off the texture. Big pieces stay firm and a bit raw in the center by the time the beef is tender, while very small pieces fall apart and make the stew pasty and too thick.

Putting the peas in at the start of the simmer makes them collapse. They lose their shape, turn dull and grayish, and blend into the broth so the stew looks muddy and the vegetables feel uneven.