You’ll need:
• 1–1½ lbs beef stew meat, cut bite-size
• Oil for searing (I used oil from sun-dried tomatoes)
• ½ onion, diced • 2–3 celery stalks, chopped small • 1 cup baby carrots (rainbow if possible), cut into thirds • 2–3 small potatoes, diced small
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce • 1–2 cups broth or water (just enough to cover) • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp paprika • Black pepper to taste • 1–2 tsp taco seasoning (optional) • 1–2 tsp soy sauce • 1 tsp yellow mustard • 1–2 tsp brown sugar • 2 whole star anise • 4 small bay leaves • Juice of ½ lime • 1–2 tsp Sriracha (or to taste)
I marinated the stew meat briefly with soy sauce, mustard, cumin, paprika, and a splash of lime juice.
In my Dutch oven, I heated the sun-dried tomato oil and seared the meat on all sides until browned. Then I set it aside.
In my sauté pan, I cooked the onion and garlic together until fragrant. Then I added the celery and carrots. I ladled in a little broth from the Dutch oven while the veggies softened.
I added the veggies and meat back into the Dutch oven. Stirred in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, star anise, bay leaves, and enough broth or water to cover. The potatoes went in last, diced small.
I brought it to a light boil, then turned the heat down low to simmer. Covered it and let it go about 90 minutes, stirring now and then. Toward the end, I took the lid off so it could thicken naturally. The broth got nice and rich.
I tasted and adjusted — a little more lime and black pepper made it perfect. ⸻
Results: A deep, flavorful stew — rich, tangy, a little sweet, and a hint of heat from the Sriracha. The meat was tender, the vegetables were soft, and everything melded together beautifully. Tip: It tastes even better the next day after it’s rested in the fridge. Serve with bread or rice to soak up the broth.
Kirk
