Basic Grassfed Beef Stew Recipe

Beef stew is certainly one of the most popular comfort foods within American and Irish cuisine.

When you take the time to carefully source ingredients such as grass-fed beef and rendered tallow for sautéing the vegetables, then it becomes a truly traditional dish that is tasty, satisfying, and healthy.

My Favorite Beef Stew Hack

When I was a poor graduate student barely scraping by, a can of Dinty Moore beef stew warmed up and served over a bowl of rice was one of my go-to cheap dinners (that along with ramen noodles — YIKES).

I always wondered why I got a headache the next day. Years later, I finally figured out that it was due to all the MSG in that canned stuff!

Today, I make beef stew from scratch, which eliminates the headache issues.

I still love to serve it over rice, which is my favorite hack for this traditional dish. I recommend white rice over brown.

Even with the hull removed, white rice is best soaked before cooking for a few hours or overnight.

This step improves the digestibility of the starch considerably and safeguards against arsenic from rice brands that don’t test their products for purity.

Then, finish it off with a quick cook just before the stew is ready to serve.

If you are grain-free, another way to serve your beef stew is with homemade plantain biscuits.

5 from 2 votes

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Grass-fed Beef Stew Recipe

A traditional recipe for beef stew using grass-fed beef and other classic ingredients for comfort food that will please the whole family. Serve alone, over rice, or on grain free biscuits.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 261 kcal

Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed beef chuck preferably grass-fed
• 2 Tbl beef tallow preferably grass-fed
• 1 large white or yellow onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 Tbl tomato paste packed in glass!
• 1 cup mushrooms sliced (preferably fresh)
• 2 cups carrots chopped
• 1 cup green beans snipped and chopped
• 2 medium potatoes optional, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 Tbl sprouted flour
• 2 Tbl cold water

Instructions

1. Heat tallow in a large cast iron dutch oven over medium heat. 

2. Add beef cubes and sauté until browned. 

3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. 

4. Add onions and sauté for about 4 minutes; add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.  

5. Return beef and any juices to pot; stir in tomato paste, then add broth and enough water to just cover.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beef is tender about 1 ½ hours.

7. Add carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and green beans. Cover partially; simmer about 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove the lid and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

8. In a small bowl, mix sprouted flour or arrowroot with water and stir into stew. Increase heat and bring to a slight boil for 2 minutes for the flour and 1 minute for the arrowroot. 

9. Ladle into bowls or serve over soaked and cooked basmati rice.

Recipe Notes

The beef stew is tastiest using organically sourced vegetables especially the potatoes and carrots.

Substitute 1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder instead of the minced garlic cloves in a pinch.

For grain-free thickening, use arrowroot powder, but do it at the very end, as cooking it too long will result in it losing its thickening properties.

Nutrition Facts

Grass-fed Beef Stew Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 261 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 5.4g27%

Cholesterol 180mg60%

Sodium 250mg10%

Potassium 400mg11%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 4g16%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 2400IU48%

Vitamin C 6.6mg8%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.