Description
Hearty beef pumpkin stew brings rustic Mexican flavors to your autumn table, blending tender meat with rich seasonal spices. Warm comfort awaits with each spoonful of this soul-satisfying meal that connects you to traditional culinary heritage.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) beef stew meat or chuck roast
Vegetables:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups pumpkin puree
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) butter
- 4 cups (946 milliliters) beef stock or broth
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3–4 thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Dust beef cubes with flour, ensuring even coating and removing any excess powder.
- Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high temperature (around 350°F), searing beef pieces until golden brown on all sides, working in multiple batches to prevent overcrowding.
- Introduce finely diced onions and crushed garlic into the pot, sautéing until translucent and fragrant, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Pour beef stock and smooth pumpkin puree into the pot, whisking thoroughly to create a uniform base.
- Enhance flavor profile with Worcestershire sauce, incorporating salt and freshly ground black pepper for depth. Add diced potatoes, sliced carrots, and whole thyme sprigs.
- Elevate heat to generate a robust boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer, covering the pot and allowing the stew to slowly develop flavors for 90-120 minutes until beef becomes extraordinarily tender and vegetables soften.
- Delicately extract thyme sprigs, taste and fine-tune seasoning as needed, then ladle into warm serving bowls.
Notes
- Dust beef lightly with flour to create a crispy, golden exterior that helps seal in moisture and adds rich flavor to the stew.
- Brown meat in small batches to ensure each piece develops a deep caramelized crust, preventing steaming and enhancing overall taste.
- Swap beef with plant-based protein like jackfruit or seitan for a vegetarian version that maintains the hearty texture and warming spices.
- Use sweet potato instead of regular potatoes to boost nutritional value and add a subtle sweetness that complements the pumpkin’s earthy notes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 358 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1040 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg