How To Cook Beef Stew Meat On The Stove
Beef stew meat is usually cooked until tendered and easily shredded. If you overcook meat then it will become tough. It is usually cooked at a low temperature for a long time. It will take 3 to 4 hours to cook beef stew meat on the stove.
All you need for making this classic stovetop beef stew are a few base ingredients and a little bit of time to allow it to cook on the stovetop. Beef stew requires around two hours of cooking time, so recipes like these are a Sunday dinner tradition. My beef stew is certainly something that you will want to serve for Sunday Supper since it is not a perfect weeknight meal, but the good news is that a lot of the cooking time is out of your hands. Even though it is a smaller-batch recipe, you will want to use a larger skillet or Dutch oven (affiliate link) anyway, so that you have plenty of space to cook and stir without crowding.
I find that cooking chuck roast on the stovetop allows you to get it just right, with tender beef and vegetables that are cooked but retain shape. When making beef stew on the stove, we are going to be able to lightly sear the meat, which brings out flavors, but it will also seal the juices.
Normally, if you are using big chunks of chuck roast for your beef stew, yeah, you would want to sear it first, before you cook/braise it. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, over medium-high heat, add the cooking oil, sear the beef, which is falling apart, on all sides, about 2-3 minutes. Working in three batches, add 1/3 of your meat to your skillet and sear, turning with a tongs, until brown on all sides, for about 4-5 minutes per batch.
While the vegetables are sauteing, add the butter and olive oil to the skillet on high, set to medium-high. Add the butter to the pan with the chopped onions, saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until they are soft. Just brown the meat and onions, and then throw everything else into the pot and cook for about an hour. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook on the stovetop for 55 minutes-2 hours (depending on your stove), stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and the meat is cooked down to your liking.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and allow pot to simmer at medium-low for 45 minutes, or until beef is cooked through. Slowly cook on the stovetop in one pan until a wonderfully spiced gravy is rich and thick, and beef and vegetables are fork-tender. Then, transfer beef chuck, along with all the other ingredients, to a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
If using a slow cooker, season the beef cubes before cooking and let them sit for one hour, as described in the original recipe. Follow directions 1 through 4 in the stovetop version, and then add any remaining ingredients in the slow cooker with the meat. Remove the meat from the slow cooker on the bottom, then place it aside on a plate until you are ready to return it to my beef stew.
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When you add the beef back into the pot later, the flour in there helps to thicken up the stew. The easiest way to thicken up a beef stew is to combine about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water, add that to the stew, mix, and simmer it a few minutes longer until thickened. To thicken stew, 30 minutes before serving, strain out about 1/2 cup of the liquid/sauce, mix with about 2 to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Sauce | 1/2 cup |
| Water | 1 cup |
| Cornstarch | 1-2 tsp |
Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water, then stir it into the stew, allowing to cook 30 minutes. We mentioned above using the sauce from the stew to stir with a little cornstarch, but another way to thicken the sauce is to stir in about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with just a little bit of water, then dump it into your Instant Pot. While the oil is heating, add beef stew meat into a large mixing bowl and throw the flour, salt, and pepper and mix in to coat.
Scrape any bits of beef off the bottom of the pan, and cook the flour mixture (roux) for about 1 minute. At this point, scrape down the bottom of a pan to release any nice bits of flavour left over from searing beef and onions. Add broth, and allow broth to simmer for an additional minute to deglaze the bottom of a large pan and pick up all the flavors.
Check a large Dutch oven periodically to see if the beef is falling apart with a fork, and add more broth or water if sauce starts to dry out. Add potatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of a large Dutch oven. At this point, add potatoes, tomato paste, stock, rosemary, and your beef (along with bones, if using).
Pour in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, and bring back 1/3 of the meat in the pan. Return to oven, continue cooking for an hour, or until the well-marbled chunks of beef are fork-tender, the wine-based stock is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are soft. Once you have sauteed the vegetables and brown beef, and are ready to shut off the Instant Pot lid, it will take approximately 30-35 minutes on HIGH for the braise to finish cooking and be fully cooked. Add the fall-apart, fall-apart beef back into the pan, then toss in potatoes, carrots, celery (star anise, if using), Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and stir in beef stock.
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The best cuts of beef to make stew are boneless Chuck Roast as it does not dry out when cooked and is cheaper than a leaner cut. After a little bit of time braising on the stovetop (or you can try making this classic beef stew recipe in the Instant Pot or in a slow cooker), this classic homemade beef stew is sure to remind you of one that you grew up on. My beef stew is not one that I often make because of the time involved (about 2 hours or so), but sometimes when it is bleak and rainy outside, you need that big bowl of comfort food to tide you over for the night.
How do you make cubed stew meat tender on the stove?
The toughness of the meat fibres increases with cooking temperature; a boil results in rubbery, chewy stewing beef. The meat must be simmered gently to achieve tenderness. Occasionally check the meat to see if it’s done. Larger or tougher portions of meat will require more time to cook.
How long does it take stew meat to get tender on the stove?
A lot of connective tissue is present in this meat, which makes it exceptionally moist and tender since it is filled with connective tissues. One way to make a very tender beef stew is to be patient! This stew should simmer on the stovetop for about 12 hours. The slow cooker will cook it for 6 to 8 hours, depending on how long you set it.
Does stew meat get more tender the longer you cook it?
Meat does not become challenging when it is cooked; it becomes more tender. There is a tendency for beef to dry out at higher temperatures, but time isn’t as important. You describe the meat as tough because it becomes drier as the temperature increases.