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Susan’s Beef Stew Over Farro

Grandma-core is having a moment, and honestly? I’m here for it.

If the world insists on being chaotic, I’m going to respond the only sane way: a Dutch oven, a bottle of red wine, and something that simmers for hours while I pretend I’m not checking my phone every four minutes.

This stew is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food: Pieces of well‑marbled beef are seared in a hot pan, then gently braised with garlic and onions in a rich wine-based broth. After a few hours, the meat becomes fork-tender and enveloped in a deeply flavorful sauce.

It’s largely hands-off and even better when made a day or two ahead (night two is when it makes its encore). It also freezes beautifully. Serve it over noodles, mash up some potatoes—or do what I do and spoon it over farro, a delicious ancient grain.

Four tiny upgrades that make this taste like you know what you’re doing.

Farro is an ancient grain with a nutty bite and real fiber (Grandma-core … but make it smart). And here are my four small upgrades—nothing precious, nothing extra—that take this from “nice” to next level:

  • Balsamic vinegar at the end, to wake everything up
  • Trader Joe’s hot pepper sauce, for a tiny kick
  • A butter-sautéed mushroom topping, because applause is nice
  • Farro instead of the usual carb, because we can

These little moves make it taste like you planned ahead—even if you didn’t.

The key to tender, flavorful stew

Look for a chuck roast with good marbling. Don’t be afraid of fat—it’s doing the work.

Ingredients

Stew

  • 4 lb chuck roast, cut into 5–6 large chunks
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups beef bone broth or beef stock
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 cup water (more as needed)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme (or ~5 sprigs)
  • A couple glugs Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Baby carrots (a handful, or more if you’re feeling responsible)
  • 1 bag frozen pearl onions, thawed

Optional (but yes, they help)

  • 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon—Beef Base
  • 1 tsp Trader Joe’s Hot Pepper Sauce (the jarred one)

Mushroom topping

  • 2 cartons button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme (or ~5 sprigs)
  • Fresh parsley, chopped

To serve

  • Farro (Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro, or the longer-cook version)
  • Wide egg noodles
  • Mashed or boiled potatoes
  • Creamy polenta
  • Bread (obviously)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Set a rack in the lower part of the oven.
  2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. (Moist beef doesn’t brown—it steams. We’re not here for steamed anything.)
  3. Dust beef lightly with flour on all sides. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
  4. Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.
  5. Brown the meat in batches (don’t overcrowd the pot) until nicely browned on all sides, about five minutes per batch. Transfer beef to a plate as it browns.
  6. Keeping the browned bits in the pot, add a touch more oil if needed and sauté onion and garlic for two to three minutes, scraping up the good stuff.
  7. Stir in tomato paste (and Trader Joe’s hot pepper sauce if using). Cook for one minute.
  8. Return beef (and any juices) to the pot. Sprinkle lightly with flour and stir until you don’t see flour.
  9. Pour in beef broth, red wine, and water. Add thyme. The meat should be mostly covered. Add a splash more liquid if needed.
  10. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. Stir in Better Than Bouillon if using.
  11. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise for about two hours.
  12. At the two-hour mark, add baby carrots and thawed pearl onions. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.
  13. Cover and return to the oven for another 45+ minutes, until the beef is fork-tender and carrots are cooked through.
  14. Remove from oven and let rest. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.
  15. Serve over farro (or potatoes/noodles/polenta). Top with buttery mushrooms and chopped parsley.

Butter-Sautéed Mushroom Topping (Do this if you love mushrooms as much as I do.)

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and thyme and cook about 10 minutes until really browned. Season with salt and pepper at the end. Spoon over the stew and finish with chopped parsley.

A Few Notes on Making a Really Great Stew

  • Skip the “stew meat.” Buy a chuck roast (or another fatty cut) and cut it yourself so everything cooks evenly. Cut the pieces bigger than you think you should.
  • Brown the meat like you mean it. Pat it dry, work in batches, and don’t crowd the pan. Browning is where the flavor lives.
  • Low and slow wins. Once the liquid goes in, keep it at a lazy simmer (a gentle burble, not a boil). You can cook this on the stovetop at a low simmer or in the oven low and slow.
  • Be generous with flavor: onions, garlic, thyme, wine. This isn’t the time to be timid.
  • Stew needs a nap. Make it today, eat it tomorrow. It tastes better after it rests.
  • Freezer-friendly. Freeze leftovers up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop. I freeze all my soups and stews in these containers.

Pro tip: Want it thicker?

The stew should thicken by the end of cooking, but if you want it thicker: Make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch + cold water) OR mash flour into softened butter to make a paste. Stir either into a gently simmering stew a little at a time until it’s the consistency you want.