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Ina Garten-Style French-Inspired Beef Stew

Ina Garten-style French-inspired beef stew with deep-browned beef, red wine gravy, and tender carrots, potatoes, and peas. Slow-baked at 300°F until the meat is soft, then finished with a quick pea simmer for a stew that clings to every spoonful.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Seasoned flour for browning
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp black pepper
Oil and wine base
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 clove garlic minced
Vegetables
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 1 lb carrots cut into chunks
  • 1 lb small potatoes halved
Herbs
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Preheat and brown the beef
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Toss the beef with flour, kosher salt, and black pepper, then brown it in batches in olive oil so it develops a deep color.
  2. Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown half the beef first. When pieces release easily and look well browned, move them to a plate, then repeat with the remaining beef.
Build the stew base
  1. Pour off any excess oil if needed, then add the dry red wine to the pot. Scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom, stirring until the surface loosens.
  2. Stir in the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic. Mix until the tomato paste dissolves and the sauce looks evenly combined.
Add vegetables and bake
  1. Return the browned beef to the pot, then add onions, carrots, small potatoes, rosemary, and fresh thyme leaves. Distribute everything so the liquid is around the vegetables but not necessarily covering them completely.
  2. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover the Dutch oven. Bake at 300°F for 1 3/4–2 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender when pierced.
Finish with peas
  1. Remove the rosemary sprig and stir the stew. Add the frozen peas and stir them through.
  2. Simmer the stew on the stove for 5 minutes to heat the peas through and meld flavors. Season to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t rush the browning—work in batches so the beef sears instead of steams, which deepens flavor for the red wine gravy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing works well for up to 3 months, though peas can soften—add fresh peas when reheating if you prefer. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat beef broth and trim extra fat from the chuck before cooking.