Beef Stew With Prunes

By Mark Bittman

Beef Stew With Prunes
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
5(2,180)
Comments
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Braised dishes like this beef stew may feature green, orange, yellow or red vegetables but their most appetizing color is brown, the shade of brown whose glossy darkness shouts intensity and richness. The key to achieving that glorious color and flavor is sufficient browning of the meat. Don't rush. The good thing is, this savory-sweet stew can almost be ignored while it is cooking and can be made in advance, the night – or even two – before you serve it. Couscous makes a great accompaniment, as does saffron rice, because those bring out the color of the stew. Plain crusty bread is another great option. This is simple cold weather food at its most appealing.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; A Braised Winter

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2pounds lean boneless beef, preferably chuck, in 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1onion, peeled and chopped
  • 3plum tomatoes, stemmed and chopped (canned are fine)
  • 1teaspoon sweet paprika, more to taste
  • 1cinnamon stick
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1cup chicken stock
  • 1cup dry red wine
  • 2tablespoons sugar
  • 1cup pitted prunes
  • 1tablespoon sherry vinegar or other vinegar, or to taste
  • Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

613 calories; 22 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1139 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a deep skillet or casserole that can be covered over medium-high heat, and add oil. Brown meat well on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper, for 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon.

  2. Step 2

    In same pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and tomatoes with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. When they soften, about 5 minutes, stir in paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Return meat to pan, and add stock and wine; bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If mixture starts to dry, add a little water or stock.

  3. Step 3

    Remove cinnamon and bay leaf, and stir in sugar and prunes. Simmer until prunes and meat are soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (Dish can be made in advance to this point; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.) When meat is very tender, uncover pot and add vinegar; if necessary, raise heat so sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,180 user ratings
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Comments

Judith Norman

One of the best and easiest beef stew recipes. Its especially good when I use a homemade bone broth (chicken or beef) where the gelatin has leeched from the bones. This makes the sauce rich and almost jammy. Additionally, I leave out the sugar which I think is unnecessary as the prunes are plenty sweet.

Susan B.

I made this tonight and it was delicious! I cooked it in a covered Dutch oven at 300 for one hour, then took out the cinnamon and bay leaves, added the prunes and cooked it another hour and a half. The meat was fork tender and sauce was very tasty. Served it over egg noodles. Will be making again.

Charlie Henss

To be honest, this stew is a little sweet for my taste. And it needs about an hour more cooking than the recipe suggests. But, in compensation, it comes out tenderer than any other beef stew I've made. Is it the prunes? The tomatoes? Whatever it is, it works!

Olivia

Wow, sooo good. I followed other commentors’ advice and added 45 min cooking time on the end. Meat was falling apart at that point and the sauce became like a Demi-glacé. I added all sorts of extra veggies because why wouldn’t I? I used only 1.2 lb beef, one onion, 3 carrots, some mushrooms, half a daikon, a bag of small tomatoes. I added a Tbsp sherry with the wine and stock (my own veg stock), and a Tbsp espresso balsamic vinegar at the end. Would definitely make again, but would add even more veggies and maybe double the recipe or increase by half, bc if I’m investing that much time into a meal I want to make a lot of it. I omitted the sugar, also.

Great

Followed this almost to the T but added 2 tablespoon spoons of rendang paste, 2 teaspoons of MSG, 1 cup frozen peas, brunoise carrots. Pretty amazing pot of beef stew with a good crusty bread.

doris

can this be made in crockpot?

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