Grandpa Clarence's Rich & Tangy Hawaii-Style Beef Stew

Adapted from https://playswellwithbutter.com/hawaiian-beef-stew/

Servings: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cubed into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled as desired and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (one) 8-ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup shoyu (or low-sodium soy sauce)
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cups low-sodium beef stock, divided
for serving, as desired: rice

STEPS

1) Season the beef: Place ¼ cup of the flour in a medium bowl. Using paper towels, pat the stew meat as dry as possible, then season generously with the salt and ground black pepper. Dredge the seasoned stew meat in the flour, coating the meat well but shaking off any excess flour. Set aside.

2) Brown the beef: Add the olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat (I use a 5-quart Dutch oven). Once the oil and hot and shimmering, add in the beef, shaking off any excess flour before adding it into the pot. Brown 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches as necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot.

3) Build the Hawaiian beef stew: Once the beef is browned, add the remaining ingredients into the pot: celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, shoyu, Worcestershire, and 3 ½ cups of the beef stock. Stir to combine.

4) Cook the Hawaiian beef stew: Increase the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fall-apart tender. Add the remaining ½ cup beef stock and ¼ cup all-purpose flour to a bowl or jar, whisking or shaking vigorously to combine until a slurry forms. While stirring, gradually pour the slurry into the beef stew. The stew should thicken almost immediately. Simmer 1-2 minutes longer to cook off the flour.

5) Serve the Hawaiian beef stew island-style, over a bed of rice. Enjoy!


NOTES

10-Minute Meal Prep: While there’s lots of stove time involved in making this Hawaiian beef stew, you can eliminate all of the active work involved by chopping up the beef and veggies in advance. To meal prep, complete the following tasks, and at dinnertime, all you have to do is get cooking—easy!

Instant Pot Hawaiian Beef Stew: Use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on manual high pressure for 35 minutes. Carefully quick release by flicking the valve to its “venting” position. Switch the Instant Pot back to its “Sauté” setting, and finish the beef stew as directed in Step 4.