Warm Up With Jake Cohen’s Red Wine Beef Stew

There’s no better way to fight the cold weather than with a rich and hearty bowl of beef stew. This recipe is focused on the classic beauty of braising beef in red wine but with a little oomph. I find that the addition of soy sauce adds an extra layer of umami for deep richness, while a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar balances the stew with a rounded acidity. Now for serving, you can choose any route for making this a truly perfect bowl, serving it over rice, mashed potatoes, polenta, egg noodles, or any other starch your heart desires!

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Jake Cohen’s Red Wine Beef Stew Recipe

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 cups red wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 pound (4 medium) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered 
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 cups beef stock
• 6 thyme sprigs, tied with butcher’s twine
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the beef with 2 heavy pinches each of salt and pepper. Sear the beef, working in 2 batches and turning as needed, until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the beef to the plate.
2. To the pot, add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the wine, soy sauce, and balsamic and stir, scraping up any browned bits that have developed on the bottom of the pot. Cook until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
3. Add back the seared beef with the, potatoes, carrots, beef stock, and thyme. Season with 2 heavy pinches each of salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, reducing the heat to maintain a simmer, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
4. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until smooth, then stir into stew and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls and serve.

Jake Cohen is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and nice Jewish boy from NYC. He wrote his first book, Jew-ish, about his love of modern Jewish cooking and baking; his sophomore book, I Could Nosh, is in stores now.