Poor Mans Stew

The beef should sizzle as it hits the hot Dutch oven, and the onions soften in the browned bits left behind. I reach for Poor Mans Stew when I want a full pot made from familiar ingredients without setting up a separate searing pan or making a sauce on the side. Everything comes together in one pot, and the tomato-beef broth gets richer as the potatoes and carrots cook.

Keeping the stew covered over low heat gives the vegetables time to turn tender while the broth thickens around them. I stir it now and then, especially along the bottom, so nothing catches as the stew simmers. By the time a fork slides easily into the potatoes and carrots, the beef is nestled in a thick, savory broth that’s made for a cold evening or an easy dinner at home.

Why the Flour and Tomato Paste Go In Before the Broth

Adding flour straight to a pot of liquid is an easy way to end up chasing little lumps around your stew. Here, the flour first coats the browned beef and softened vegetables, where it can mix with the tomato paste instead of clumping in the broth. A minute of cooking lets that coating settle into the base before any liquid goes in.

Pouring in the beef broth gradually gives you a chance to stir the coating smooth as it loosens. The tomato paste adds concentrated tomato flavor, while the flour helps the finished broth cling to the meat and vegetables rather than stay watery. If the mixture looks thick and a little pasty before you add the broth, that’s expected; keep stirring as the liquid goes in, and it will become a smooth stew base.

What Gives This Stew Its Hearty Texture

• Ground beef — 85% lean beef browns well and leaves enough fat to carry savory flavor; draining the excess keeps the broth from feeling greasy. A slightly leaner ground beef works, though the stew will taste a little less rich.
• Yukon Gold potatoes — They turn creamy at the edges but hold their shape in a covered simmer. Red potatoes are a close swap if that’s what you have; russets break down more readily and make the broth starchier.
• All-purpose flour — It thickens the broth without making the stew taste like a flour-based gravy when cooked briefly with the tomato paste. Use a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend in its place for a gluten-free version; choose one intended for baking and cooking, not a single-ingredient starch.
• Tomato paste and tomato sauce — The paste brings concentrated flavor to the base, while the sauce gives the broth its tomato body. A tube of tomato paste is handy here because the recipe uses only a small amount; ordinary canned tomato sauce works well.
• Beef broth — Broth is the stew’s main savory liquid, so use one with a flavor you like. A lower-sodium beef broth is a useful choice if you prefer more control over the saltiness.

Build the Stew in the Dutch Oven, One Layer at a Time

Brown the Beef Before Draining

Set a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Look for no pink spots and browned bits throughout, and cook until the beef reaches 160°F. Drain the excess fat before moving on; leaving a pool of fat behind can make the broth greasy.

Soften the Onion, Then Add Garlic

Add the diced onion to the beef and cook for 4 minutes, stirring until it softens. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Garlic can turn bitter if it sits over the heat too long, so keep it moving and have the next ingredients ready.

Coat the Beef with Flour and Tomato Paste

Stir in the flour and tomato paste until the beef and onion are coated. Cook the mixture for 1 minute, stirring so the paste doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pot. It should look thick and evenly coated before you start adding liquid.

Simmer Until the Vegetables Give Easily

Gradually stir in the beef broth, then add the tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready when a fork slides easily into both the potatoes and carrots and the broth has thickened.

Three Practical Ways to Adapt Poor Mans Stew

Questions That Come Up While the Stew Simmer

Poor Mans Stew

Poor mans stew is a hearty one-pot dinner with browned ground beef, tender potatoes and carrots, and a thick tomato-beef broth. It simmers in a 5-quart Dutch oven until the vegetables are fork-tender.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 440

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb ground beef 85% lean
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cup beef broth
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 carrots medium, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Equipment

• 1 5-quart Dutch oven

Method

 

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and it reaches 160°F; drain excess fat.
2. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the flour and tomato paste until the beef and vegetables are coated, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Gradually stir in the beef broth, then add the tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the stew has thickened.

Notes

Stir the broth in gradually to help prevent lumps. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze them; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.