3 Iconic Stews Every Home Cook Should Master

Three classic European beef stews from Brian Lagerstrom: Hungarian Goulash, Irish Beef and Stout Stew, and Beef Bourguignon — each a masterclass in braising.

smart_display Published 2025-11-06 download Extracted 2026-04-04

30m Prep

150m Cook

3h Total

6 Servings

hungarian goulash beef stew paprika braise eastern-european comfort-food one-pot

Ingredients

Beef Bourguignon

1590 g beef chuck roast (cut into large chunks)
salt (generous pinch)
30 g olive oil (for beef)
750 ml dry red wine
300 g yellow onions (rough chop (for braising, will be strained out))
300 g carrots for braising (rough chop (for braising, will be strained out))
150 g celery (rough chop (for braising, will be strained out))
1 garlic head (halved crosswise (for braising, will be strained out))
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
900 g beef stock
28 g powdered gelatin (whisked into cold stock before using)
15 g tomato paste
20 g Better Than Bouillon beef base optional
25 g olive oil for mushrooms
275 g cremini mushrooms (quartered)
300 g carrots for finishing (sliced into chunky rounds)
mashed potatoes (for serving)

Hungarian Goulash

1360 g beef chuck roast (cut into 1–2 inch cubes)
to taste salt and black pepper (to taste)
40 g olive oil
600 g yellow onion (small dice)
20 g garlic (minced)
30 g tomato paste
50 g sweet paprika
14 g powdered gelatin (whisked into stock before heating)
1000 g chicken or beef stock
3 bay leaves
5 g Better Than Bouillon beef base optional
150 g red bell peppers (large dice)
300 g carrots (chunky dice)
450 g Yukon Gold potatoes (1 inch dice)
for garnish sour cream (for garnish)
for garnish fresh chives (for garnish)

Irish Beef and Stout Stew

1590 g beef chuck roast (cut into 1–2 inch cubes)
15 g salt
40 g olive oil
175 g cremini mushrooms (quartered)
250 g carrots (large dice)
300 g Yukon Gold potatoes (halved or chunked)
120 g pearl onions (peeled)
75 g unsalted butter
75 g all-purpose flour
600 g stout beer (Guinness)
750 g beef stock
21 g powdered gelatin (whisked into cold stock before adding)
20 g Better Than Bouillon beef base optional
20 g tomato paste
20 g Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs (tied in a sachet or loose)
90 g frozen peas
to taste black pepper (to taste)
crusty bread (for serving) optional

Steps

Beef Bourguignon

1

Toss the large beef chunks with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Spread on a sheet tray and broil for about 15 minutes until deeply browned. Set aside.

Tip: Cut pieces larger than for a regular stew — the intense, reduced sauce is better with fewer, larger pieces.

~15 min
2

While the beef broils, combine the red wine with rough-chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until the wine has reduced by about 75% and the vegetables are softened.

Tip: Reducing the wine first rounds off the tannins, cooks out the raw alcohol, and the sweet aromatics help balance the intense meaty flavor from the beef.

~15 min
3

Whisk gelatin into cold beef stock. Add the gelatin-stock mixture, tomato paste, and Better Than Bouillon to the wine reduction. Lay a large folded piece of cheesecloth in the pot. Add the broiled beef and all drippings. Fold the cheesecloth loosely around the beef.

Tip: The cheesecloth keeps the beef separated from the aromatic vegetables so it can be removed cleanly for the next-day sauce reduction.

~5 min
4

Cover the pot and transfer to a 300°F oven. Braise for 2½ to 3 hours until the beef is very tender and the collagen is fully melted. Let cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight with the lid slightly ajar.

Tip: The longer braise time (vs. the other two stews) is because this beef is cut larger.

~180 min
5

The next day, skim the solidified fat from the surface. Warm the pot to melt the liquid, then carefully lift out the cheesecloth package of beef with tongs and set aside. Strain all the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the vegetables hard to extract all juice. Discard solids.

Tip: Press the saturated vegetables hard through the strainer — they hold a tremendous amount of the most flavorful braising liquid.

~15 min
6

Return the strained braising liquid to the Dutch oven. Add fresh sliced carrots. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 75–80% until glossy and syrupy, about 30–45 minutes, while cooking the carrots through.

~40 min
7

In a separate pan, sauté quartered cremini mushrooms in olive oil with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat for 7–8 minutes until browned. Add the sautéed mushrooms and the reserved beef to the reduced sauce. Simmer 10 minutes more, turning the beef to glaze it all over.

Tip: Sauté mushrooms separately in dry heat — cooked only in wet heat they turn spongy and flavorless.

~20 min
8

Serve large pieces of beef and mushrooms with the glossy sauce and carrots spooned over a generous mound of mashed potatoes.

~5 min

Hungarian Goulash

1

Toss the beef cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated. Spread onto a sheet tray and broil 8 inches from the broiler for about 15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until deeply browned with good fond on the tray.

Tip: Broiling instead of stovetop searing is less messy, faster, and lets you prep other ingredients simultaneously.

~15 min
2

While the beef broils, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with olive oil. Add all the diced onions with a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until very soft and melty but not caramelized. If the pot gets too dark, deglaze with a splash of water.

Tip: Goulash is thickened by the onions, not flour. Cook them until fully melted or the stew won't thicken properly.

~15 min
3

Add the minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the sweet paprika for 30 seconds over gentle residual heat.

Tip: Kill the heat before adding paprika — it turns bitter very quickly over direct high heat.

~3 min
4

Whisk the gelatin into the cold stock until dissolved. Return the pot to heat and add the stock mixture, Better Than Bouillon beef base, and bay leaves. Bring to a spirited simmer, then add the broiled beef along with all tray drippings and fond.

Tip: Whisk gelatin into cold liquid before heating — this prevents clumping and ensures even distribution.

~5 min
5

Bring to a lazy simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer to a 300°F (150°C) oven. Braise for 90 minutes. The beef should be halfway tender — it should have some resistance but not yet shred.

~90 min
6

Add the chunky potatoes, carrots, and diced bell peppers. Cover and return to the 300°F oven for 45–60 more minutes, stirring halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and the beef shreds when pressed but still holds its shape.

Tip: Add bell peppers at this stage — adding them earlier makes them blow out texturally and lose their fresh pepper flavor.

~60 min
7

Taste and season with salt. Let cool 30 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim excess fat from the surface, reheat gently, and do a final seasoning. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of fresh chives.

Tip: Chilling overnight improves quality by at least 50% — the meat reabsorbs liquid as it cools, becoming juicier, and flavors meld together.

~10 min

Irish Beef and Stout Stew

1

Toss beef cubes with olive oil and salt. Spread on a sheet tray and broil under the broiler for about 15 minutes until well browned with good fond on the tray.

~15 min
2

While the beef broils, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with oil. Sauté mushrooms, carrots, and pearl onions with a pinch of salt for 3–5 minutes until lightly colored and moisture is reduced. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Tip: Par-cooking the vegetables in oil concentrates their flavor and gives them a richer taste than adding them raw.

~5 min
3

Return the pot to medium heat and melt the butter. Add flour and whisk constantly to form a smooth roux. Cook, stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone and the roux is lightly toasted, about 1–2 minutes.

Tip: Keep the roux light — the darker it gets, the less thickening power it has.

~2 min
4

Whisk the gelatin into the cold stock, then combine with the stout beer. Pour the liquid into the roux, whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer, then add Better Than Bouillon, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 1–2 minutes until integrated.

Tip: Whisk gelatin into cold liquid first — if added to hot liquid it will clump.

~5 min
5

Add the broiled beef plus all tray drippings and fond. Stir in the bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and transfer to a 300°F oven. Braise for 90 minutes.

Tip: If fond is stuck to the sheet tray, add a splash of water and scrape with a wooden spoon over the stovetop — it loosens instantly.

~90 min
6

Pull the stew from the oven. Add the raw potatoes and the par-cooked vegetables. Add a splash more stock or water if needed to keep everything submerged. Cover and return to the 300°F oven for 45–60 minutes, stirring halfway through.

~60 min
7

Check doneness: beef should pull apart but not fall apart; carrots and potatoes should be tender. Season generously with salt and add frozen peas. Stir gently. Cool 30 minutes, then chill 2 hours or overnight. Next day, skim fat, reheat gently, and serve with crusty bread.

Tip: Be careful when reheating — stir gently so you don't shred the beef or mash the potatoes.

~10 min

Nutrition (per serving)

520

Calories

42g

Protein

28g

Carbs

26g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

Goulash is Hungary's national dish, traditionally thickened not with flour or starch but with a generous amount of slowly melted onions. The paprika — added off-heat to prevent bitterness — is the soul of the dish, lending it a vibrant red color and distinctive fruity, savory aroma. Regional variations exist across Hungary and neighboring countries, but this version focuses on the classic approach with oven braising for even, gentle heat.