A deeply flavored, rich, and cozy beef stew is usually an all-day, multiple-pan affair. But this recipe simplifies the steps so that you can have this stew, which is mostly hands-off cooking, on the table in a maximum of 2 hours.

Okay, so I’ve tried every beef stew recipe out there. (No, I haven’t, but I’ve tried A LOT.) The best ones require time and effort: Multiple cooking methods, multiple steps, multiple pans, etc. And the results have largely been worth the effort. BUT, if you have a busy family, young kids, a demanding job, or just don’t feel like tending a stew all day, there is a simpler beef stew option!

I did a bunch of research and tried a bunch of tricks. My goal was to achieve a rich flavor without using every pan in my kitchen and without requiring a ton of work. Some of my shortcuts worked and some didn’t. I think I’ve landed at a happy medium that isn’t exactly “set it and forget it” but that will get you a lot more bang for your flavor buck than a quick stew made in, say, the slow-cooker.

My first shortcut was to brown the meat in one batch in the oven instead of searing it in multiple batches on the stovetop. I know searing is the way to lock in moisture and to achieve some caramelization on the outside of the meat, but it takes me FOREVER and my hand gets very tired from holding the tongs and rotating the cubes until they’re evenly browned. So instead, I patted everything dry and roasted it at high heat in the oven for a few minutes to get that caramelization.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SALT: I found that if I didn’t salt the meat at all before the roasting, the end results were slightly bland. However, when I over salted the meat before roasting, it dried out because too much moisture came out during that initial cook. So, use a judicious pinch of salt before roasting and then generously salt the rest of the dish at various points in the cooking.

Then, I stirred in some flour right after that initial roast and along with the onions and carrots. I found that adding in the flour at this stage rather than at the end, allowed the flour to cook and thicken the sauce without any added fuss.

My next major shortcut was to whizz a majority of the ingredients in a blender and pour it all over the meat and veggies before a long, slow braise. Less chopping! No garlic fingers! Win win! But, if you don’t want to dirty your blender or food processor (which I completely understand) a traditional chop will do just fine.

Weeknight beef stew

Time: 1 3/4- 2 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings

2 lbs stew beef cubes
1 Tbsp kosher salt, divided (see note above)
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
2 anchovies
6 large garlic cloves, divided
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large onion
2 large carrots

Optional topping:
1/2 lb mushrooms (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil or butter, or a combination
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 500. Pat the beef cubes dry. Add in a single layer to a large Dutch oven. Top with 3 Tbsp of butter cut into 6-9 small cubes. Sprinkle very lightly with salt. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the beef is roasting, add the beef stock, wine, anchovies, 3 cloves garlic, thyme, 1-2 very large pinches of salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor and whizz for 30 seconds.

Once the beef is quickly caramelized, turn the oven down to 375. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp of flour over the meat and mix. Add the onions and carrots and remaining 3 large garlic cloves to the pot. Sprinkle with another judicious pinch of salt. Stir.

Top with the liquid and bake in the oven, uncovered, for 1¼-1½ hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. The dish is done once the liquid has cooked down and thickened into a gravy-like consistency.

Optional topping:
While the beef is cooking, chop or slice the mushrooms and sauté in butter and olive oil. Once they have released their water and that water has evaporated, add the vinegar and cook for 1-2 more minutes until the vinegar has also evaporated.

This quick meat sauce achieves that slow-cooked depth of flavor with a little beef stock, tomato paste, and high heat. #meandthemoose #dinner #meatsaucerecipe #meatsauce #pasta #quickdinner

Meat sauces are usually long and slow affairs, but this version speeds things up with high heat and beef stock to mimic the flavor of a cooked-all-day sauce in a fraction of the time.

Take me to the sauce!

I love a great, long-simmered, deeply flavored, unctuous Bolognese more than almost anything. That falling apart meat with a hint of acidic tomatoes all clinging to some wide flat noodles with a sprinkle of salty, nutty parmesan? Swoon.

But realistically, we never have time to make one. Even during these quarantined weekends we need flexibility for when the children inevitably short circuit and need a change of scenery.

It’s hard to achieve that depth of flavor without the long, slow simmer, but I’ve tried! And I think succeeded! However, there’s a reason why I call this a “meat sauce” and not “Bolognese.” It’s not the original. But it is a delicious approximation in about an hour.

A couple of notes:

Use the leanest beef you can find. If you can’t get 90/10 or 85/15, use half of the amount of pork listed or leave it out entirely
This recipe is meant to be made mostly at high temperatures, but you’ll need to keep an eye on the sauce at every step to ensure that the liquids are evaporating fast enough, but that nothing is burning. We want the heat to caramelize and brown everything, but we don’t want anything to burn and turn bitter. You may have to do a significant amount of fiddling with the temperature throughout the cooking to speed things up or slow them down at intervals.
I list a range of amount of the tomato paste. I like it less tomato-y, but my husband likes it with a little more. The largest amount (6 oz) is one small can of tomato paste.

Quick (ish) meat sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large stalk celery, finely minced (about ½ cup)
1 small carrot, finely minced (about ½ cup)
5 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb ground beef (90/10 if you can find it)
¼ lb ground pork or sausage, casings removed
1 tsp kosher salt
4-6 oz tomato paste (5-6½ tbsp)
¼ cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
Pepper to taste

Time: about 1 hour for the sauce and the pasta, mostly active
Yield: 3-4 cups of sauce, or enough for 1 lb of pasta

Heat a skillet over a medium flame. Add the oil and heat until the oil is shimmering and slips easily around the pan. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the veggies soften and begin to brown.

Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Add the meat and turn the heat back up to medium if you turned it down earlier. Stir and chop up the meat with your spatula breaking it into small pieces while cooking until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.

Stop stirring and let the meat cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. You should hear it sizzling and bubbling. If not, turn up the flame.

Add the tomato paste and wine and stir well to combine and deglaze the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add 1½ cup of beef broth and cook, stirring often, until it has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes. If the liquid isn’t evaporating fast enough, turn up the flame.

Add the final ½ cup of broth, turn the heat all the way down, and cover. Let simmer on the lowest heat while you cook your pasta.

Bring your water to a boil and cook the pasta according to its package directions. Stir the sauce every few minutes while the pasta cooks.

Combine and serve.

Me & The Moose

Me & The Moose

Elevated family food

Me & The Moose

Weeknight beef stew

Weeknight beef stew

Quick(ish) Meat Sauce

Quick (ish) meat sauce

Me & The Moose