Best Beef Stews in the World

Beef and Wild Rice Stew

Credit: © Ethan Hill

From a beef stew in red wine sauce to a slow cooker Korean beef stew, here are fantastic beef stew recipes.

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Short Rib Stew

Credit: © Kana Okada

When Ethan Stowell was growing up, his father was the family cook; beef stew was one of his specialties. Unlike his dad, who favored rump roast, Stowell uses short ribs, a marbled cut that turns fabulously succulent and tender when slow-simmered.

Comfort Food Classics

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Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce

For many Americans, the quintessential French stew is boeuf bourguignon—beef cooked in Burgundy red wine. The stew, featured regularly at Jacques Pépin's mother's restaurant, was made from tougher, cheaper cuts of beef, which had to be braised a long time to get tender and to stay moist.

F&W's Guide to Soups & Stews

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Beef Stew with Port and Porcini

Gail Hobbs-Page, who also consults on the raising of the grass-fed livestock at Dave Matthews's Best of What's Around farm, developed this beef stew recipe with chuck in mind, marinating it overnight to tenderize it, simmering it slowly, then adding port, red wine and porcini mushrooms to create a rich, deeply flavored sauce.

F&W's Beef Cooking Guide

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Classic Pot-au-Feu

Classic Pot-au-Feu. Photo © P-A Jorgensen

Credit: © P-A Jorgensen

For this dish, David Duband braises two cuts of beef—shank and rump roast—with marrow bones and then separately cooks leeks and carrots with more marrow bones until everything is deeply flavorful and tender. When serving, you can mix the horseradish with the sour cream to make a tasty garnish.

Classic French Recipes

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Slow Cooker Korean Beef Stew with Napa Cabbage and Pickles

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Smoky Beef and Leek Stew

In Rioja, cooks add leeks to their hearty beef stews for a hit of sweetness and acidity, plus pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika) and peppercorns for a layer of spice.

F&W's Beef Cooking Guide

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Beef Stew

Credit: Â© Fredrika StjÃ¤rne

This beef stew gives you everything you want in comfort food—it's hearty and satisfying—but what makes it stand out is its subtle, sophisticated use of coriander and fenugreek seeds. The cooked meat needs to be refrigerated overnight, so plan accordingly.

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Beef Stew with Red Currant Jelly and Cream

Credit: © Frances Janisch

In classic French cuisine, when the sauce for wine-braised boar or venison is flavored with red currant jelly and cream, the dish is called grand veneur. Beef and pork are delicious prepared in grand veneur style too.

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Pot Roast Smothered in Bacon and Onions

Credit: © Quentin Bacon

There seems to be a daunting amount of onions in this Portuguese-inspired dish, but with the bacon they cook down to a wonderful, smoky jam surrounding super tender beef.

More Beef Recipes and Cooking Tips

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Beef Rib Eye and Vegetable Stew

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Asian Beef Stew

This brothy stew is succulent and soothing, but sisters Jasmine & Melissa Hemsley invigorate it with fish sauce, Asian spices and lemon juice. "We both just love sour flavors," says Jasmine Hemsley. "It's our Filipino mum's influence."

More Beef Recipes

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Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew)

This classic Belgian beef stew is known for its sweet-sour combination of caramelized onions and beer. Any dark Belgian-style ale would be a good choice here. As with most stews, the dish will taste even better a day or two after it's made.

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Hunter's Stew with Braised Beef and Wild Rice