Serve this Garlicky Beef Stew with loads of onions and a whole head of garlic for your Halloween dinner. It'll keep the vampires away!
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours50 minutesminutes
Servings 8servings
Ingredients
2poundsstew meat or, preferably, chuck roast
Salt and pepper
3tablespoonsolive oil
2large white or yellow onions
1head of garlic
2tablespoonsbutter
2tablespoonstomato paste
3cupsbeef stock
14.5ouncescanned diced tomatoes with juice
2ribscelerydiced
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Whatever cut of beef you choose, cut it into about 1-inch pieces. Then pat it dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat the olive oil over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the beef in batches and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate and set it aside.
Add the butter to the pan.
Add the onions and garlic and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have begun to wilt and brown.
Stir the tomato paste into the onions and garlic.
Cook the tomato paste for a minute or two.
Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes with their juice, diced celery, and fresh parsley.
Return the browned stew meat to the pan and stir everything together.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook at a low simmer for about 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the beef is very tender.
Notes
When browning the beef, cook in batches and do not crowd the pan. Do add additional oil with each new batch if it's needed.
To make peeling the garlic easy, cut off the end of each clove where it was attached to the root of the bulb. Then whack the individual cloves on a board with the flat side of a chef's knife. It will crush the cloves a bit, but the skin will pop right off.
Any leftovers can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to three days. You can freeze the stew in airtight containers for up to three months.