Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (2024)

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Fragrant mushrooms and tender meat are combined with fresh herbs to give this classic beef stew a gourmet twist.

I grew up in Russia (technically Moldova, but we will leave the technicalities be for now). The winters were frigid. And sometimes a bit depressing, as winters tend to be. Food was used to comfort the grumbling bellies and laughter was used to warm up from the inside out.

In Chi-townour winters have always reminded me of Russia. Lot’s of snowy days with frosted windows and red noses. One day last year as I walked down my driveway and the snow crunched under my feet, I was reminded of cold winters as a little girl. I was always comforted to smell the savory scents of a stew slowly cooking away on the stove top as I ran into the house after playing all day in the snow. My mom, made the best stews and pot roasts. She used fresh ingredients and simple flavors. And was always able to make an amazing dish out of practically nothing.

On one of these very snowy days last year, during a very long and dreary winter, hubs decided to give me the task of a mushroom stew. I just so happened to have bought some really nice mushrooms that I had no plans for. I went out and bought my favorite piece of beef cut, a nice cut of chuck that has lots of marbling. And went to work.

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (2)

The result was an incredibly comforting stew with layers of simple flavors. I served it over my skinny smashersand felt a little better about my indulgence.

At the end of a few days, when I still had some of the stew left, I placed it in a ziplock bag and froze it for another day.

The Technique

This stew recipe is not really a recipe but more of a technique. This is the typical braising technique. Get this down and you can use this in hundreds of different recipes.

  1. We begin by cutting up our meat into medium bite size cubes and seasoning well with salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat a Dutch oven or a thick bottomed pot with vegetable oil until it starts to smoke.

While you are at it, preheat the oven to 325-degrees.

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (4)2. Place the beef into the pot, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Allow to brown on all sides.

.

3. In the meantime, wash and roughly chop your mushrooms. I used button, cremini, sh*take and oyster mushrooms in this dish. If you use sh*take mushrooms, make sure you remove and discard the stems as they are very woodsy and tough.


Dice up an onion while you are at it as well.

4. Check on the meat and remove once nice and brown. Set aside. You will have some fat and yummy bits on the bottom of the pot. Let it be. This is your flavor.

5. Add in the onions, a few cloves of garlic, a few stems of thyme, a bay leaf and mushrooms and toss to cover with the fat in the pot. Sautee for about 10 minutes.

6. Add the meat back into the pot and sprinkle evenly with one tablespoon of flour. Mix to combine until none of the flour remains.

7. Take about 1 cup of cognac and pour into the pot. NEVER POUR OUT OF THE BOTTLE! A flame can catch onto the bottle while pouring and the bottle will explode. I have seen this happen, it’s not a pretty site. Pour into a cup first then pour into the pot. You can either let it cook out as it or light the cognac on fire with a long match or if the pot is shallow enough, tilt it towards the flame so it will catch on fire. Flambeing it is a neat party trick 🙂 Lifting up those little bits from the bottom with liquid is also called, deglazing.

8. Once all the alcohol has cooked out, about 3 minutes, you will be left with a beautiful glazed meat.

9. Pour in enough beef stock to cover the meat and mushrooms almost all the way. Adjust seasoning and cover with tightly fitting lid. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.

***Crock pot option: If you want to make this in a crock pot, you can at this point, cook on low for 4 hours. Make sure you check the broth levels to make sure they do not cook out during the cooking process.***

10. After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 275-degrees and allow to cook for another 90 minutes or until meat is nice and tender.

If you like this recipe you are going to LOVE my Crockpot Beef Pot Pies that I made with this very recipe!!! So simple it’s a sin not to make!

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (14)

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Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (15)

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew

★★★★★4.4 from 12 reviews
  • Author: Mila Furman
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Description

Fragrant mushrooms and tender meat are combine with fresh herbs to give this classic beef stew a gourmet twist.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 pounds of chuck (cut up into bite size cubes)
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 pound of a variety of mushrooms (roughly chopped)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 cup Cognac
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • about 1 quart beef stock

Instructions

  1. Cut up the meat into medium bite size cubes and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat a Dutch oven or a thick bottomed pot with vegetable oil until it starts to smoke.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325-degrees.
  3. Place the beef into the pot, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Allow to brown on all sides.
  4. In the meantime, wash and roughly chop your mushrooms.
  5. Check on the meat and remove once nice and brown. Set aside. You will have some fat and bits on the bottom of the pot. Let it be. This is your flavor.
  6. Add in the onions, a few cloves of garlic, a few stems of thyme, a bay leaf and mushrooms and toss to cover with the fat in the pot. Sautee for about 10 minutes.
  7. Add the meat back into the pot and sprinkle evenly with one tablespoon of flour. Mix to combine until none of the flour remains.
  8. Take about 1 cup of cognac and pour into the pot. NEVER POUR OUT OF THE BOTTLE! I flame can catch onto the bottle while pouring and the bottle will explode. You can either let it cook out as it or light the cognac on fire with a long match or if the pot is shallow enough, tilt it towards the flame so it will catch on fire. This is also called, deglazing.
  9. Once all the alcohol has cooked out, about 3 minutes, you will be left with a beautiful glazed meat.
  10. Pour in enough beef stock to cover the meat and mushrooms almost all the way. Adjust seasoning and cover with tightly fitting lid. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.
  11. After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 275-degrees and allow to cook for another 90 minutes or until meat is nice and tender.

Notes

1. For the CROCKPOT option: After deglazing the pan with the cognac go ahead and add the beef stock to the crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. Make sure you check the broth levels to make sure they do not cook out during the cooking process.
2. I love this crockpot because it has all the options I could ever need but most importantly it goes from the stove to the crockpot and to the oven if I need it to.

3.I used button, cremini, sh*take and oyster mushrooms in this dish. If you use sh*take mushrooms, make sure you remove and discard the stems as they are very woodsy and tough.

  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: American

Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew (2024)

FAQs

What is wild mushroom sauce made of? ›

Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced slightly, then pour in the cream. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer gently for about five minutes.

What is mushroom stew made of? ›

When you're looking for a filling vegetarian meal, this recipe for mushroom stew checks all of the boxes. We cook two pounds of mushrooms in an herbaceous broth with white wine, and add potatoes and peas. Might we recommend some sort of warm and crusty bread to sop it all up?

What can I add to canned beef stew to make it taste better? ›

You can add many vegetables to your beef stew to balance out the meatiness of the dish. On top of the list, of course, are potatoes, carrots, and onions. But you can also toss mushrooms, winter squash, and cauliflower into stew recipes.

How to make beef stew meat super tender? ›

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

What is the difference between a mushroom and a wild mushroom? ›

A mushroom is the fruiting body of an organism that lives in the soil. Some speculate they comprise an interconnected mushroom community that spans the globe. Truly wild mushrooms don't grow in a controlled environment, they are foraged in the woods, in exactly the place where conditions are ideal for them to grow.

What is the wild mushroom that tastes like chicken? ›

Some species, especially Laetiporus sulphureus, are commonly known as sulphur shelf, chicken of the woods, the chicken mushroom, or the chicken fungus because it is often described as tasting like and having a texture similar to that of chicken meat.

Why put vinegar in stews? ›

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

What thickens mushroom soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

What is the liquid in stew called? ›

Broth is a thin soup made of the water in which flavor-enhancing ingredients like meat, vegetables, and herbs and spices have been simmered. The liquid is strained after cooking to remove the flavoring ingredients. The broth can be served on its own or used as the base for a heartier soup or stew.

What gives beef stew the best flavor? ›

Add spices such as turmeric, coriander and cumin at the early stage of cooking, when you are frying onions and garlic, to enhance the taste of the beef stew. Fresh herbs like coriander and bay leaves also contribute a distinct flavour without making the dish too spicy for the younger members of the family.

How to deepen the flavor of beef stew? ›

Seasoning Your Stew

For seasonings, I like Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and a good red wine. I've also used a dark beer in place of the wine and been very happy with the results. You can certainly play with your own favorite seasonings, but I would recommend keeping them fairly simple.

What is the secret to good stew? ›

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

What is the best tenderizer for stew beef? ›

The choice becomes easier when you realize that simple baking soda can be an ideal meat tenderizer that helps to bring out all the aromas and flavors in every sizzling beef stew or charburger.

When to add carrots to stew? ›

Bring to a boil, then cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, add the carrots and potatoes. Return to the oven and continue cooking for one hour, or until the meat is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the carrots and potatoes are tender.

What vegetables are good in beef stew? ›

The ingredients for Easy Beef and Vegetable Stew can be modified to include green beans, peas, corn, and mushrooms as well. I often throw in a bag of baby carrots already peeled and prepared instead of peeling and chopping carrots.

What is mushroom sauce made of? ›

It is made with mushrooms, butter, cream or olive oil, white wine (some variations may use a mellow red wine) and pepper with a wide variety of variations possible with additional ingredients such as shallot, garlic, lemon juice, flour (to thicken the sauce), chicken stock, saffron, basil, parsley, or other herbs.

What Flavour is wild mushroom? ›

This mushroom is one of our favourites, they have a mushroomy flavour with a slightly nutty and sweet side. Ideal for use in any dish you would normally put a mushroom in. The texture is slightly firmer than normal supermarket mushrooms meaning you get more of a meaty bite from them in stews or pies.

What are the ingredients in Campbell's wild mushroom soup? ›

WATER, MUSHROOMS, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA AND/OR SOYBEAN), CREAM, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, TOMATO PASTE, FLAVOUR, YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED GARLIC. Nutritional Information is based on our current data.

What does Chinese mushroom sauce taste like? ›

Considered a dark soy (because there is no category called "dark-ish"), mushroom soy is soy sauce infused with the essence of straw mushrooms, or sometimes shiitake mushrooms. It adds a rich, earthy flavor to cooked dishes.

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