Hearty Low Carb Keto Beef Stew
To make a keto stew, I am using lower carb vegetables:
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Zucchini
The first three in the list are part of the classic mirepoix mix. They are essential to make virtually any sauce taste good.
The zucchini makes the sauce lovely and thick – without the need for additional starches.
The Problem With Traditional Stew
Stew – a very thick soup – is a winter dish. That’s why classic stew contains starchy root vegetables such as potatoes or parsnips, which are high in carbs.
What’s more, traditional beef stew recipes thicken the sauce with either cornstarch or flour. In my opinion, this makes it gloopy and unpleasant. And it also adds unnecessary carbs.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
There are just 3 basic steps!
STEP 1
Brown the meat. Sear the seasoned beef in a heavy-bottomed pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and caramelised from all sides. Don’t crowd the beef chunks – it may be necessary to do this in two batches. Also, leave the beef undisturbed as much as possible. No stirring!
STEP 2
Fry the vegetables. First, fry the onions, carrot, celery, courgettes and herbs, then add the garlic.
STEP 3
Combine everything and stew! Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste, coconut aminos, red wine and beef broth. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover to cook on the stove top until the beef is tender and sauce is thick and glossy.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Tips For Tender Beef
Buy chuck roast. Beef chuck roast is affordable and becomes tender very quickly when stewed. I prefer it over traditional stewing cuts like brisket (which takes MANY HOURS to become tender). It is also extremely flavourful. Get your butcher to cut it into chunks for you.
Bring beef to room temperature. Searing meat straight from the fridge causes it to seize and toughen. I take mine out an hour before cooking.
Add wine and tomato paste. The acid in both wine and tomato helps to break down the connective tissue in the meat. This way, the beef becomes more tender.
Simmer with a lid on. This way, the stew meat stays moist, tenderises quicker and you don’t accidentally cook off all the liquid.
Quality counts. Lastly, I really believe it’s worth investing in the best quality beef you can afford. The batch you see in the photos was organic, grass fed beef. It was melt-in the mouth tender after just 90 minutes.
Lesser quality beef will take longer to cook. But don’t worry – you can just leave it in the pot for another hour or so. Eventually ALL beef becomes tender.
The Perfect Sauce – 2 Ways
You have two options to make a lovely thick stew without xanthan gum or glucomannan. It all depends on whether your beef cooks quickly or needs more time.
For beef that cooks in 90 minutes: Thicken the sauce. Remove ¾ cup of vegetables and juice and puree using a hand stick blender until smooth. Add back to pan, stir and serve!
For beef that is still firm after 90 minutes: Add an additional 1 cup / 240ml of liquid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes – 1 hour. This way, the vegetables are so soft the sauce becomes thick and glossy all on its own.
Optional: During the last few minutes of cooking, add green vegetables for a little crunch. This is especially nice if you’ve had to cook the beef for 2 ½ hours as the original vegetables become very soft.
Green beens are a good choice, or kale.