Beef and Potato Stew
A hearty one-pot stew of browned beef mince, tender potatoes and carrots simmered in a savory beef and Worcestershire sauce. Comforting, filling and rich in protein.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Simmering
- Savory
- Comforting
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Peel the potatoes and cut into 2 cm cubes. Peel the carrots and slice into 1 cm rounds. Finely chop the onion.
~10 min
-
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Season with half the salt and half the black pepper.
~8 min
Browning the mince in a single layer triggers the Maillard reaction, creating deep savory flavor and color.
Brown the beef in a single layer without stirring too often so it develops a deep crust; those browned bits are what give the stew its savory depth.
Searing Use medium-high heat and don't stir too often; let the meat sit to form a deep brown crust. Crowding the pot steams it instead.
-
Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened and golden. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
~6 min
Cooking the Worcestershire sauce briefly mellows its sharpness and blooms its flavors into the dish.
-
Add the potatoes and carrots and stir to coat. Pour in the beef stock and add the remaining salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
~20 min
Simmering covered gently cooks the vegetables and melds the flavors without reducing the sauce too much.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the vegetables cook evenly and the sauce thickens without scorching.
-
Stir in the peas and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
~5 min
Uncovered simmering lets moisture evaporate so the sauce thickens and concentrates.
If the sauce is thinner than you like at the end, simmer it uncovered a few extra minutes; the potatoes release starch that helps it thicken naturally.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the vegetables cook evenly and the sauce thickens without scorching.
-
Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot.
~1 min