Paleo in PDX

Living, moving & eating well in Portland, Oregon

Sweet and Smoky Beef Stew

Go make this sweet and smoky beef stew! I can’t tell you how amazing this concoction tastes. I threw ingredients in the pot that I thought would work well together, and the result kind of blew my mind. My only regret is that I didn’t make a bigger batch. Jesse and I gobbled it all up and didn’t have any leftovers. It is SO good!

Meanwhile, I am so happy and relieved today! Midterms are officially over and I got a PERFECT score on my muscle anatomy practical. Tonight, I don’t have to do any studying and I have a long weekend (no school on Monday). Things couldn’t be any better, really. Tomorrow, I’m treating myself to breakfast out after my morning workout, and then in the evening, Jesse and I are going out with a friend. It’s so good to have things to look forward to and have a light at the end of the tunnel.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Smoky Beef Stew

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces good-quality bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup bone broth
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

  1. Heat large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and stew meat (no need for oil b/c of the bacon) and allow to cook and brown, stirring frequently.
  2. Once meat is done, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside (if don’t have a slotted spoon, use a regular spoon and try to keep the bacon grease in the pan for sautéing the vegetables).
  3. Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and stir. After a couple minutes, add the carrots and mushrooms.
  4. Stir frequently until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, spices, and sea salt and pepper. Add the stew meat back to the pot. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
  5. Turn heat to low and cover the pot with a lid (may need to tilt lid slightly, so it’s not sealed). Let simmer for about 3 hours. Enjoy!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. i’ve seriously made this like 5 times in the past 1.5 months since you posted this! i’ve made sure that grass fed stew beef is always in my meat order 🙂 it is delicious and SUPER easy, thanks!

    Reply

    • I recommend going the slow cooker route, so you have nice tender beef that you can shred apart if you want. This is what I did when I first tried beef after more than 10 years of not eating it! I just used beef stew meat and slow cooked it with veggies, curry paste and coconut milk for a few hours. It came out juicy, flavorful and very tender. This stew is even a great option!

      Reply

  9. I make this over and over, popular with the boyfriend too, I just follow instructions but when I get to the “simmer” part I toss it in the slow cooker on low for the afternoon. Works out great! 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] 22. Sweet and Smokey Beef Stew Sweet and smoky get equal representation in this beef stew. They’re pulling sweet from the tomatoes and they use bacon for the smokiness. The bacon they’re using is beef bacon, and it’s sugar free. That’s an important factor to consider when purchasing bacon, since most conventional bacon has added sugar to give it a sweet taste. The other ingredients they’re using make sure that you’re getting a pretty good split of meat and vegetables, with plenty of beef, and veggies like carrots, onions, and mushrooms to balance it up. […]

    Reply

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