What to do with the last of the stew beef
The last of raw stew beef works well in a quick stir-fry or braise. Left-over cooked stew can be shredded and made into a pie filling or warmed through as a simple dinner.
- How long it keeps
- Raw stew beef keeps in the fridge for three to four days in an airtight container or wrapped well. Cooked stew keeps for three to four days in the fridge in a covered container.
- How to tell it has turned
- Raw beef that has turned grey or brown, feels slimy, or smells sour or off should be discarded. Cooked stew with visible mold or a sour smell is no longer safe to eat.
Half a pound
Beef stew with root vegetables
A simple, warming beef stew that transforms half a pound of stew beef into a satisfying weeknight dinner. The meat braises gently in broth with onion and garlic, and you can stretch it with potatoes or carrots from the pantry.
About 200 calories a serving, 6 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat. From USDA figures for 71% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.
To buy
- 3 cups beef broth
- half a pound potatoes
From your shelf
- half a pound stew beef
Staples
- 2 tablespoons oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Pat half a pound of stew beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the beef in a single layer and leave it untouched for 3 minutes to brown.
- Turn each piece and brown the other sides, about 2 more minutes total, then transfer to a plate. The meat need not be cooked through.
- Reduce heat to medium, add 1 diced medium onion and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pot, and stir often until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the vegetables and stir to coat.
- Pour in 3 cups beef broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom with a spoon, and return the beef and any juices to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and reduce heat to low, then simmer gently for 45 minutes while you peel and cut half a pound of potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Stir the stew halfway through.
- Add the potatoes, stir, cover, and simmer until both the beef and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Note Swap potatoes for carrots, parsnips, or turnips cut to the same size. Leftovers keep refrigerated in an airtight container for three days and rewarm gently on the stove with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread or over rice to soak up the broth.
Two or three chunks
Pan-seared stew beef with mushroom reduction
Two or three chunks of stew beef get a quick sear and finish in a savory pan sauce with mushrooms and garlic. This is the weeknight answer to turning tough cuts into something worth eating, when you have no time for braise but a skillet and heat.
About 3330 calories a serving, 316 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 218 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.
To buy
- 8 ounces, sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup beef broth or stock
From your shelf
- two or three chunks, roughly 8 to 10 ounces total stew beef chunks
Staples
- 2 tablespoons oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 2 cloves, minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pat two or three chunks of stew beef dry with paper towels and season each piece generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then lay the beef in the pan and leave it alone until a brown crust forms, about three minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and 8 ounces sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring now and then, until they soften and brown at the edges, about five minutes.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for one minute until fragrant, then pour in 1 cup beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Return the beef to the skillet and simmer until the sauce reduces by half and thickens slightly, about seven minutes, turning the beef once halfway through.
- Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Divide the beef and sauce between two bowls and serve hot.
Note Swap mushrooms for diced bell pepper or shallots if needed. Leftovers keep three days refrigerated and reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or crusty bread to catch the sauce.
A small handful of pieces
Beef and rice soup
A handful of stew beef becomes a warming, salt-and-pepper broth with rice to stretch it thin across two bowls. This shelf has only meat and staples, so we build supper on what kitchen basics will do for a tired night.
About 490 calories a serving, 22 g protein, 46 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.
From your shelf
- a small handful, about 4 oz [115 g] stew beef
Staples
- 1 tablespoon oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Dice 1 small onion and mince 1 garlic clove. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the beef pieces and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until they brown on one side.
- Stir the beef, turn the heat to medium, and cook 2 minutes more. Add the onion and garlic, stir, and cook 1 minute until the raw smell leaves the garlic.
- Pour in 4 cups water and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot. Once it bubbles, turn the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, skimming any foam that rises, until the beef is tender.
- Stir in 1/3 cup rice, 1 tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Note Swap the rice for pasta if you have it. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and warm in a pot on low heat with a splash of water. Serve with bread to soak up the broth.