I participated in a beef stew recipe campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Certified Angus Beef® brand. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
I think it’s cold almost everywhere in the country. Between all the snow, the cold, and the ice, all my family has been craving are warm, hearty meals. At the top of the list have been soups, stews, and chilis, with the occasional roast and steak thrown in.
When I reach for a recipe that calls for beef, I always look for the Certified Angus Beef® brand, which is a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select grades. The logo indicates that the beef has met 10 standards for premium quality, including abundant marbling. Marbling is the little white flecks you see in the meat before cooking; they actually melt during the cooking process, basting the beef from the inside-out.
Tomorrow, February 15th, the Certified Angus Beef® brand is going to be featured on a fun show called Recipe Rehab. The show takes a family’s favorite high-calorie, family-style recipe and then has two chefs face off to give it a low-calorie twist. Be sure to check your local CBS listings and catch the show tomorrow to see the chefs in action!
I have a sneak peak for you, though. Tomorrow’s episode will have the chefs recreating one of our favorites – beef stew. I received two fun challenge kits in order to make both of the beef stew recipes for my own family to see which one was the crowd favorite.
Hearty Beef Stew Recipe
First up was the Hearty Beef Stew recipe. Hubby asked to try it first, as it seemed the closest to a traditional beef stew. He approved of one of the twists – serving it over cauliflower, a veggie he loves – and was anxious to give it a try.
- 2½ pounds Certified Angus Beef ® sirloin tip, trimmed of excess fat, cut in ¾ – 1-in. cubes, and patted dry on paper towels
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 5 cups no-salt-added beef broth
- Canola oil spray
- 1 pound yellow onions, diced in ¾-in. pieces
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
- 1 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
- 6 celery stalks, cut into ¾-in. pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets
- 8 ounces fat free sour cream (optional)
- 8 pinchs fleur de sel (optional)
- In 2-quart mixing bowl, whisk flour and beef broth together until any lumps are gone.
- Spray pot or Dutch oven (6-quart) with oil and place on medium-high heat. When pot is heated, brown beef in three batches, adding more spray for each batch. Do not overcrowd pot; its bottom should be visible.
- Spray a nonstick pan with oil and heat on medium high. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and soft. Remove from pan and reserve; repeat with carrots, cooking until browned.
- Once beef is browned, add mushrooms to Dutch oven and cook for 1 minute. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Return browned beef to Dutch oven; add caramelized onions and carrots, as well as celery, garlic, tomato paste, thyme leaves, bay leaves and ground pepper. Stir in flour and beef stock mixture.
- Bring pot to a simmer, then reduce to low heat and cook for 45 minutes, or up to 2 hours if time permits. (The longer the stew simmers, the more tender the beef will become.) While stew is simmering, occasionally check it and skim any excess fat from the top.
- Bring 4 quarts water to a simmer in large pot. Place cauliflower florets in simmering water and cook 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep cauliflower warm.
- Remove stew from heat and stir in lemon juice. Divide cauliflower equally among 8 bowls, then ladle stew over cauliflower.
- (Optional: Garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with small pinch of fleur de sel)
We enjoyed this hearty beef stew recipe quite a bit. Serving it over cauliflower definitely isn’t something I would normally have tried on my own, but it was a nice, healthy swap for a change. And my husband and I both love mushrooms, so that was a nice addition, also.
Beef Stew with Barley
Next up we tried the Beef Stew with Barley recipe. It was definitely different, with ingredients like spinach and barley (and more mushrooms, yay!). The barley definitely made it very filling, but not everyone was a fan of that specific inclusion.
In the end, our family’s vote is for the Hearty Beef Stew recipe! We loved the traditional chunky vegetables, and enjoyed the chef’s twists. The Beef Stew with Barley recipe was also good, though with the diced vegetables and barley, it just didn’t rank quite as high overall.
Which beef stew recipe would you try first?
About Liza
Liza is a mom (5-year-old daughter, 20-year-old stepson, and 24-year-old stepdaughter) and wife living in Louisville. She loves spending time with her family, visiting the local zoo and parks, as well as planning travel adventures. Cooking and baking, DIY projects and crafts, and coffee - lots and lots of coffee - round out some of her other hobbies.
The hearty beef stew for sure! Sounds super deLISH!!
I like beef stew with barley but one of my children doesn’t like the texture of barley so we would try hearty beef stew first.
We love roast and vegetables but I have not tried making beef stew. I’ll have to try this this weekend.
Looks great, nice and hardy. Very well balanced meal!
Both of the stews look delicious! Beef stew is one of my favorite things to make during the winter!
we’re pretty traditional so we’d go with the one you chose first too
Love beef stew…nothing better on a cold winter’s night than a big bowl of stew. YUM!
The one with the cauliflower looks to die for! I recently heard that this certified angus beef is the best you can get – a friend was looking for it for her Paleo diet I think.
I absolutely love beef stew, and ANgus beef is definitely the best! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
They both look great! I never would have thought to serve beef stew over cauliflower, but that’s a great idea! I love mushrooms too, but John doesn’t.
Stews are our favorite this time of the year! YUM!
We really enjoyed making these beef stews
Mmmm. Beef stew is so good! I really want to try this recipe now. I’ll have to go buy some Angus beef.
Ooooh, that heart beef stew is calling my name. WOWSA.
Our Certified Angus Beef came out so tender. it was amazing!
My husband loves beef stew… this looks like something he would be so happy for me to make him!
I love a good hearty beef stew. It’s something I really crave during these cooler months. The meat you used looks so good.
such a perfect recipe for a cold and snowy winter day like this. yum.
Looks delicious! Just like mom used to make!
I’ll be over at 5:00 pm for dinner! 
This beef stew would surely warm me up! Looks great!