Ina Garten couldn’t possibly have known when she started working on her latest cookbook how much we’d all need comfort food right now. She came up with the concept for Modern Comfort Food more than two years ago, figuring the book would arrive just before the presidential election and that we might be a bit stressed. “Little did I know that 2020 would bring so much more,” she says. “Right now I think we just want really simple comforting foods that make us feel good.” In many ways, the book seems meant to be. “It was the easiest one I’ve ever written. I tend to gravitate toward comfort food anyway, and I found that the book just flowed in a way I don’t ever remember.” Many of the recipes are the culmination of years of experimentation and taste memories. This beef stew was inspired by the takeout stews Ina and Jeffrey ate in their tent when they camped outside Paris in the spring and summer of 1971. “Over the years I learned a lot about what makes beef stew really delicious,” she says. “A nice red wine, short ribs instead of chuck. It’s a classic recipe, just done in a more modern way.”
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 4 ounces small-diced pancetta
- 3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks (4 1/2 pounds on the bone)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
- 1 cup hearty red wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône or Chianti, divided
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
- 2 cups chopped fennel, trimmed and cored (1 large bulb)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, including the juices
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth, such as College Inn
- 1 pound carrots, scrubbed and cut 1/2 inch thick diagonally
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, 1-inch diced
- 10 ounces frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300˚ F.
- Heat the oil in a large (11- to 12-inch) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.
- Meanwhile, season the short ribs all over with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Brown half the meat in the Dutch oven over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a bowl and brown the second batch. (Don’t cook them all in one batch or they won’t brown!) Transfer the second batch to the bowl and set aside.
- Off the heat, add the Cognac and 1/3 cup of the wine to the pot, scraping up any browned bits, then simmer over medium heat for one minute. Add the onions and fennel and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Stir the tomatoes and tomato paste into the vegetables. Add the remaining 2/3 cup of wine, the beef broth, the seared meat (and juices), 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and bake for 1 1/4 hours, checking occasionally to be sure the liquid is simmering.
- Degrease the stew, if necessary. Stir in the carrots and potatoes, cover and bake for one hour longer, until the vegetables and meat are very tender when tested with a fork. Just before serving, stir in the peas and pancetta, taste for seasonings and serve hot in large, shallow bowls.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 695 |
| Total Fat | 43 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 134 mg |
| Sodium | 1306 mg |
Reviews
It is such a great recipe! THX Ina!
I made this yesterday exactly as written. It was delicious! I made sure to trim as much fat as possible off my short ribs and as a result did not have to degrease the stew. This recipe makes A LOT. Expensive to make, but will absolutely be my go-to stew.
I used chuck roast instead of short ribs and trimmed as much of the fat as I could. That worked really well. The stew filled our home with an incredible aroma as it slow baked in the oven. I didn’t need to remove any grease film when I added the carrots and potatoes. I did find the stew got pretty thick by the time it finished baking and it was handy to have extra beef froth on hand to thin it out. But that’s more a matter of preference. This is so much easier to make than beef bourguignon and it is equally delicious. I served this to good friends along with Ina’s buttermilk cheddar biscuits, a simple green salad, and a good bottle of red wine. There wasn’t a drop or crumb left. It’s a perfect dinner for a relaxing comfort meal on a cold, wet Seattle winter night.
Delicious!! This is a luscious, rich beef stew that is hearty and full of flavor. It was easy to make and will be my go-to recipe moving forward.
Great recipe. Love the use of short ribs as they stay nice and moist and don’t get stringy. Had to add more liquids while it baked— maybe my pan cover doesn’t seal the pot properly. Not any fat to skim!Serves 8 easily.
Best beef stew I’ve found. My foodie family loved it and said to keep it in the list of faves. Full of rich flavor and fall apart beef. It’s a winner.
This is one of the worst recipe’s I’ve tried. Where is the flavor? I don’t get these rave reviews. Waste of time and money.
Perfect as written. Didn’t change a thing and my husband and I both loved it.
Wonderful flavor!!! This is fantastic, and I added a half of rutabaga, and worked out great. Love the fennel, and it didn’t overcome any of the other vegetables. Perfect as usual. Thank you, Ina!
Heads up this makes a LOT! Good news is my friends are thrilled to get batches delivered. This was a bit scary to make for the first time but I trusted the process and am so happy I did. I ended up using a bottom round roast and it worked out great. Really proud and happy with how it turned out.