Beef Stew With Prunes

By Mark Bittman

Updated December 19, 2016

  • Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
5(2,203)
Comments
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Braised dishes like this beef stew may feature green, orange, yellow or red vegetables but their most appetizing color is brown, the shade of brown whose glossy darkness shouts intensity and richness. The key to achieving that glorious color and flavor is sufficient browning of the meat. Don't rush. The good thing is, this savory-sweet stew can almost be ignored while it is cooking and can be made in advance, the night – or even two – before you serve it. Couscous makes a great accompaniment, as does saffron rice, because those bring out the color of the stew. Plain crusty bread is another great option. This is simple cold weather food at its most appealing.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; A Braised Winter

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 pounds lean boneless beef, preferably chuck, in 2-inch cubes

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped

  • 3 plum tomatoes, stemmed and chopped (canned are fine)

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, more to taste

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1 cup dry red wine

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 cup pitted prunes

  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or other vinegar, or to taste

  • Chopped parsley leaves for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

45 grams carbs; 145 milligrams cholesterol; 613 calories; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams fiber; 1139 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein; 27 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a deep skillet or casserole that can be covered over medium-high heat, and add oil. Brown meat well on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper, for 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon.

  2. Step 2

    In same pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and tomatoes with a large pinch of salt and some pepper. When they soften, about 5 minutes, stir in paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Return meat to pan, and add stock and wine; bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If mixture starts to dry, add a little water or stock.

  3. Step 3

    Remove cinnamon and bay leaf, and stir in sugar and prunes. Simmer until prunes and meat are soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (Dish can be made in advance to this point; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.) When meat is very tender, uncover pot and add vinegar; if necessary, raise heat so sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,203 user ratings
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Comments

Judith Norman

One of the best and easiest beef stew recipes. Its especially good when I use a homemade bone broth (chicken or beef) where the gelatin has leeched from the bones. This makes the sauce rich and almost jammy. Additionally, I leave out the sugar which I think is unnecessary as the prunes are plenty sweet.

Susan B.

I made this tonight and it was delicious! I cooked it in a covered Dutch oven at 300 for one hour, then took out the cinnamon and bay leaves, added the prunes and cooked it another hour and a half. The meat was fork tender and sauce was very tasty. Served it over egg noodles. Will be making again.

Charlie Henss

To be honest, this stew is a little sweet for my taste. And it needs about an hour more cooking than the recipe suggests. But, in compensation, it comes out tenderer than any other beef stew I've made. Is it the prunes? The tomatoes? Whatever it is, it works!

Erica

We didn’t love this. It’s too sweet, and the cinnamon is weird. I’m glad other people enjoyed this but my son ended up making something else for dinner and my husband and I ate the meat but found the broth not pleasant to eat. I would not add any sugar at all and skip the cinnamon, but honestly it’s just try another recipe.

Erica

We did not like this very much. Even lowering the sugar was not enough, it was still too sweet. I think with the prunes you don’t need additional sugar. The cinnamon was a little weird.

Amy

The sauce for this recipe with the prunes is terrific, although like other reviewers, I felt additional sugar was not needed. Used canned tomatoes, adding in juice... Did use sherry vinegar although another vinegar would have been fine too. The meat was not as soft as I would have liked...cooked additional 20 minutes on stovetop. Will try baking in oven in the future. Added chopped onion plus bag of frozen pearl onions. Next time will also add in carrots. Excellent recipe!

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