Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
Beef and Sweet Potato Stew is an incredibly flavorful and hearty dish that is perfect for a chilly fall or winter night. It starts with a base of savory beef stock that is loaded with tender chunks of beef and sweet potatoes. Fresh onions, carrots and cauliflower are added to the mix, lending their own unique flavors to the mix. As it simmers, the flavors combine, and the beef and potatoes become incredibly tender. The result is a delicious, comforting stew that is sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 6 cups beef stock
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets fresh or frozen
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the meat; In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Then, take the pieces of beef and dip them into the mixture, making sure to lightly coat each side.
- Sear the beef: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large pot. Sear the beef on all sides making sure you don't over crowd the pot. Work in batches if needed. Transfer the browned beef to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot before each batch.
- Make the base: To the same pot add onion and carrots, cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.
- Cook the stew: Add the beef stock making sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, beef and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is soften to your taste.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves, check for seasoning and serve.
Notes
- Ingredients and substitutions: This is beef and sweet potatoes stew so if you remove those ingredients, the stew will not taste the same as one in this recipe. The base of the stew (except the beef) are onions and carrots. We all usually have those ingredients on hands quite often. I love adding cauliflower because it gets nice and tender and gives the stew natural thickness. BUT you can add whatever vegetables you have in your fridge and freezer and the stew will still taste delicious! Substitute cauliflower for green beans, peas, even zucchini. The options are endless.
- Meat: The best meat to use for beef stew is chuck roast. It has a good amount of fat that will help to tenderize and flavor the stew, as well as provide a good amount of protein. You can substitute a boneless beef bottom round roast for the chuck roast. Bottom round cut is a lean cut of beef that comes from the hindquarter of the cow. It is often used for roasting, slicing, and stewing. This cut of beef is generally lean with little fat marbling and has an intense beef flavor. The bottom round cut is also very affordable, making it budget friendly.