Beef Stew and Dumplings

I love slow-cooked meals – the kind that fill your kitchen with a warm, inviting aroma. For many, these meals spark nostalgia, bringing back memories of family gatherings. This beef stew and dumplings delivers that same cozy vibe. Slow cooking the beef transforms the initially tough, chewy beef into one that is moist, juicy and fork-tender. And everyone will be clamoring over the homemade rosemary dumplings steaming on the surface of the stew. A full meal in one pot!

What You Will Love About This Beef Stew with Dumplings

Uses less expensive beef cuts – The great thing about slow cooking is that the best cuts of beef to use are usually the least expensive. If you take a quick cooking cut, it will likely dry out and be tough. Slow cooking allows the meat time to absorb the flavors of the surrounding ingredients, and as the fat renders, it carries these flavors deeper into the meat, enhancing its taste.

Can be ramped up to feed a crowd – You can be prepare this in a 9×13 casserole dish, or a bigger vessel like a Dutch oven allows for increasing the recipe.

Can add more hearty vegetables like potatoes to make this stew go farther – Adding more veggies and a bit more stock can stretch this stew to go farther and feed more people.

Is hearty and nourishing – This stew combines a variety of food groups like proteins, carbohydrates, and various vegetables, to produce a well balanced nutritious meal.

Fills your kitchen with the most amazing aroma, a blend of rosemary and beef.

What is the Best Cut of Beef to use in Beef Stew?

When I make this stew I look to buy a well marbled chuck roast. Sometimes I find already cubed beef sold as “stewing beef”. But really, any well marbled tough cut will do. When you slow-cook the beef, several important processes occur that transform the flavor and texture of the beef:

1. Breakdown of Connective Tissue
   Tough cuts of meat, such as brisket, chuck, or shank, are rich in connective tissue, primarily collagen. When cooked slowly, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, adding a silky texture and richness to the stew. This process also tenderizes the meat.
2. Fat Rendering
   The fat in the beef begins to melt and render during slow cooking, which keeps the meat moist and flavorful.
3. Moisture Retention
   The low and slow cooking method prevents the meat from drying out. The moist environment, created by the broth and wine, helps the meat retain its juices while the connective tissue breaks down.
4. Reduction of Chewiness
   The gradual breakdown of muscle fibers and connective tissue transforms the initially tough, chewy texture into one that is fork-tender.

Equipment Needed

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You do not need a lot of fancy gadgets in this recipe. I use a Dutch oven as it allows me plenty of space to increase the recipe if need be, and I only have to clean one pot. But I have also made this using a 9×13 casserole dish with a lid/or tinfoil and a fry pan to sear the beef and cook the veggies.

Ingredients for Beef Stew with Dumplings

The main star of the show is the stewing beef. I usually try to find a well marbled chuck roast, but any marbled tough cut will work. Salt and pepper is used to season the beef before searing as well as to season the final stew.

All-purpose flour is used to coat the beef before it is seared. The flour enhances browning and the flavor produced during searing. It also helps to thicken the stew.

Vegetable oil is used to sear the beef

Carrots, celery, and onion are the vegetables used in this stew to provide flavor and texture. This combination is known as mirepoix in French cooking and is the foundation for many dishes such as soups and stews.

Tomato paste deepens the flavor of the stew offering an intense savory flavor complementing the hearty taste of beef. The flavor from the red wine develops as it reduces and cooks, adding layers of complexity that you can’t achieve with just water or stock.

Beef stock is used to provide a savory liquid for the meat and vegetables to cook in.

Fennel seeds add a warm subtle licorice-like flavor adding complexity to the stew.

The fluffy dumplings are made with flour, baking powder for a rising agent, fresh rosemary to add flavor and aroma that pairs well with beef, salt for seasoning, milk and olive oil to provide moisture and richness to the dough.

Trim excess fat from the beef and cut into 1-2″ cubes. Season with salt and pepper.

Coat all the cubed beef with all-purpose flour, making sure to coat all side and shaking off any excess.

Heat a Dutch oven or frypan over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, and when it is hot add the flour coated beef. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan, you will have to work in batches, see Note 1. Flip meat over once browned and continue searing until most of the edges have been seared. Remove the beef to a bowl and set aside. If using a frypan and casserole dish, place the seared beef in the casserole dish at this point and set aside. You may have to add more oil to prevent burning between batches.

Preheat oven to 375F

Bring the Dutch oven or frypan back up to temperature on medium-high heat. Add in the chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. The moisture from the vegetables will begin to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Scrape up any brown bits while sauteing.

Add in the wine. If there are still brown bits on the bottom of the pan use this moisture to scrape these all up – they will add lots of flavor to the stew.

If using a casserole dish and frypan, add in the tomato paste, and fennel seeds. Stir together and bring back to a boil over medium – high heat. Pour this mixture over the meat in the casserole dish and then pour the beef stock into the casserole dish – cover with a lid or tinfoil.

If using a Dutch oven, add the tomato paste, fennel seeds, and beef stock to the vegetables and red wine in the Dutch oven. Bring back to a boil with stirring. Add the seared meat and any juices left behind. Place the lid on the pot.

Place the covered casserole dish or Dutch oven in the oven for 1 hour.

At the 1 hour mark begin preparing the rosemary dumplings. Combine the flour, baking powder, chopped rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Once combined, pour in the milk and olive oil. Mix to a soft dough with a spoon. This dough is usually a little bit wet, but that is normal.

Spoon drop the dumpling dough onto the top of the beef stew, such that you have approximately 12 dumplings.

Put the lid back on the Dutch oven and continue baking in the oven for another 20 minutes. Dumplings should be light and fluffy when cut open.

Notes

1. When searing meat, you don’t want to overcrowd your pan, or the meat will end up steaming instead of searing and you won’t get the same flavor base for your stew.
2. If you want to try a different meat to beef, I have also done this recipe with leg of lamb and it was amazing. I haven’t tried it with a pork roast, but I bet it would be good too!
3. Deglazing the fry pan or Dutch oven helps to clean your pan and it brings in so much flavor from all the browned meat bits.
4. If you don’t have red wine, you could just use more beef stock. It will still be good, but you will lose the depth of flavor the red wine brings. Not much alcohol is actually left after an hour of cooking.

FAQs

What Should I Serve with Beef Stew and Dumplings?

This really is a one pot full meal in itself, but a side salad would go great to add even more vegetables to your meal. A crusty bread on the side or biscuits would also be nice if you run out of dumplings and still have stew in your bowl.

How to Store Leftovers of Beef Stew and Dumplings?

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 4 days. You can reheat on the stovetop if you like, but I usually just put my bowl in the microwave and zap it for a minute until it’s hot. The dumplings hold up well to microwaving.

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

The leftovers freeze very well. I put portions into airtight containers and freeze for up to three months. You can let it thaw in the fridge overnight before microwaving, or place the frozen stew and dumplings into the microwave and give it short bursts with stirring.

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