This rich and comforting stew is packed with tender beef, earthy mushrooms, and hearty root vegetables. Braised slowly in the oven, it's the perfect paleo-friendly meal for a cozy evening, developing incredibly deep flavor over time.
Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: Approx. 3 hours Serves: 6
Ingredients
• 2 lbs (907 g) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch cubes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) coconut oil or rendered animal fat, divided
• 1 large Portobello mushroom, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme, minced (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
• 1½ cups dry red wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
• 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
• 2 cups (480 ml) chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
• 4 turnips, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
• 1 lb (454 g) kale, tough stems removed and leaves sliced into ½-inch strips
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat Oven & Prep Beef: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 300∘F (150∘C). Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towels and season them generously with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the Beef: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil over medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, brown half the beef on all sides (about 5-10 minutes). Transfer the browned beef to a separate bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining beef.
3. Cook the Vegetables: To the fat remaining in the pot, add the Portobello mushroom pieces. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until they have released their moisture. Uncover and continue cooking until the mushrooms are dry and well-browned (5-10 more minutes).
4. Sauté the Aromatics: Add the last tablespoon of oil and the chopped onions to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
5. Build the Sauce: Stir in the tapioca flour and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any flavorful browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then gradually whisk in the beef and chicken broths until the sauce is smooth.
6. Braise in the Oven: Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the bay leaves and bring the stew to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
7. Add Root Vegetables: Carefully remove the pot from the oven and stir in the carrots and turnips. Return the covered pot to the oven and continue to cook for 1 more hour, or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.
8. Finish with Kale: Stir in the sliced kale and return the stew to the oven for a final 10 minutes to allow the kale to become tender.
9. Rest and Serve: Remove the stew from the oven. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the fresh parsley. Let the stew rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed before serving hot.
More Recipes You'll Love
Beef and vegetable stew is a three-hour braise that earns every minute. Chuck roast browns in batches, mushrooms cook dry and dark, and red wine and broth braise everything into deep flavor. Carrots, turnips and kale join in stages so every vegetable lands perfectly tender.
Pro Tips
- Pat the beef cubes completely dry and brown them in two batches — crowding the pot steams the meat and loses the crust that flavors the sauce.
- Cook the portobello pieces covered for 5 minutes to release their moisture, then uncovered until dry and well-browned. Mushrooms only taste meaty once they're brown.
- Cook the tapioca flour and tomato paste for a full minute before the wine goes in, then scrape up every browned bit as the wine simmers.
- Braise covered in a 300°F oven for 1½ hours before the carrots and turnips join — root vegetables added too early turn to mush.
- Finish with the kale for just the final 10 minutes, then rest the stew 5-10 minutes with the parsley stirred in before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why brown the beef in batches?
A crowded pot drops in temperature and steams the meat. Two batches mean proper browning — and the browned bits are the base of the sauce.
Why braise in the oven instead of on the stove?
The 300°F oven surrounds the pot with gentle, even heat — perfect for turning chuck roast fork-tender over the long cook without any scorching.
Which red wine works best?
A dry Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, exactly as the recipe suggests. Use one you'd happily drink — it's a full cup and a half of the sauce.
Can I prep anything ahead?
The beef can be cubed and the vegetables cut a day ahead. The stew itself also reheats beautifully — the flavors only get deeper overnight.
Recipe Card
- 2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch cubes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or rendered animal fat, divided
- 1 large Portobello mushroom, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 3 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1½ cups dry red wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- 4 turnips, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- 1 lb kale, tough stems removed and leaves sliced into ½-inch strips
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
1.
Preheat Oven & Prep Beef: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 300∘F (150∘C).
Pat the beef cubes completely dry with paper towels and season them generously with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the Beef: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
Working in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, brown half the beef on all sides (about 5-10 minutes).
Transfer the browned beef to a separate bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining beef.
3.
Cook the Vegetables: To the fat remaining in the pot, add the Portobello mushroom pieces.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until they have released their moisture. Uncover and continue cooking until the mushrooms are dry and well-browned (5-10 more minutes).
4.
Sauté the Aromatics: Add the last tablespoon of oil and the chopped onions to the pot.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
5. Build the Sauce: Stir in the tapioca flour and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any flavorful browned bits.
Bring to a simmer, then gradually whisk in the beef and chicken broths until the sauce is smooth.
6. Braise in the Oven: Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Add the bay leaves and bring the stew to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
7.
Add Root Vegetables: Carefully remove the pot from the oven and stir in the carrots and turnips. Return the covered pot to the oven and continue to cook for 1 more hour, or until the beef and vegetables are fork-tender.
8.
Finish with Kale: Stir in the sliced kale and return the stew to the oven for a final 10 minutes to allow the kale to become tender.
9.
Rest and Serve: Remove the stew from the oven.
Discard the bay leaves and stir in the fresh parsley.
Let the stew rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed before serving hot.
