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Beef and Onion Stew

A hearty stew of beef and onions simmered with wine, spices, and broth.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and beef are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Beef and Onion Stew

Time2½ hours

Ingredients

Directions

Brown the onions and beef

  1. In a Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

  2. Add the onions and cook until golden and tender.

  3. Transfer the onions to a bowl.

  4. In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

  5. Coat the beef cubes in flour.

  6. Add half of the beef cubes to the pan and cook until browned on all sides.

  7. Transfer the browned beef to the bowl with the onions.

  8. Brown the remaining beef in the remaining butter and oil.

  9. Transfer the browned beef to the bowl.

Simmer the stew

  1. Add the wine to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

  2. Return the meat and onions to the pan.

  3. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and beef broth.

  4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover the pan.

  5. Cook for 2½ hours or until the meat is tender.

Finish and serve

  1. Sprinkle the stew with chopped parsley.

  2. Serve hot with polenta or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1027Calories
41 gProtein
42 gFat
112 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Cloves1 tsp ground (2g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  3. Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,341 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  4. Pepper + cinnamontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,890 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  5. Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,971 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Beef chuck
Connective tissue breaks down during long simmering, making the meat tender and rich.
Flour
Coating the beef helps it brown well and thickens the cooking liquid into a sauce.
Onions
Slow cooking softens and sweetens them, adding body and depth to the stew.
Dry red wine
Adds acidity and deep savory flavor as it reduces into the sauce.
Beef broth
Provides liquid for slow braising and a savory base for the sauce.
Unsalted butter
Adds richness and helps browning of the onions and beef.

The step that matters

Browning the beef in batches. Crowding the pan traps steam so the meat greys instead of browning. Browning in batches gives deeper flavor through the Maillard reaction.

Swap the cinnamon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, olive, onion, beef, flour, red wine, pepper):

  1. Thymefits better
  2. Garlicfits better
  3. Rosemaryfits better
  4. Cinnamonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, olive, onion, beef, flour, red wine, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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