Spanish Beef Stew Recipe

An overhead shot of a serving of Spanish Beef Stew, with some toasted bread on the side.

5 from 2 votes

Looking for absolute comfort food? This Spanish Beef Stew ticks all the boxes – rich, intensely flavored sauce, fall-off-the-bone short ribs, and completely cooked on the stovetop!

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings:

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Neriz

Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds beef ribs (about 910 grams to 1 kilo)
1 & 1/2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly or minced
1 medium onion, chopped thinly
2 medium carrots, chopped roughly
1 stick celery, chopped thinly
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped roughly
2 & 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup sweet sherry, like Pedro Ximenez
1/2 cup red wine, dry
2 pcs bay leaf, dried
3 cloves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
6 to 8 sprigs thyme
2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper, to season

Instructions

Start preparing your Spanish stew by generously seasoning the ribs with salt and pepper.
Dust the ribs with some flour, making sure that all sides are coated.
Heat the olive oil on a medium to a large pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, add the ribs carefully and brown them on all sides.
Remove the ribs from the pan and set them aside.
Using the same pan and oil, add the garlic and onion.
Cook until the onions turn soft, then add the celery and carrots.
Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the: chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, chili flakes, cloves, salt, and pepper.
Cook for about 5 minutes, mixing frequently.
Add the browned ribs back into the pan and pour the red wine and sherry directly into it.
Mix and let the wine and sherry reduce --- the sauce would turn noticeably thicker at this point.
Pour the stock, then mix to combine.
Cover the pan with a lid, then bring to a boil.
Adjust the heat and let your Spanish stew simmer for about 2 hours or until the beef becomes tender.
On the last 45 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
Place the lid back and continue simmering.
Transfer your Spanish beef stew into serving plates and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Cook's Tip #1: Wipe the ribs with a kitchen towel (or paper) to ensure that they are dry before seasoning.
Cook's Tip #2: Shake any excess flour from the ribs before placing them into the pan for browning.
Cook's Tip #3: Do not hesitate to adjust the heat to medium when browning the meat, to get better control in browning them.
Cook's Tip #4: Take out some of the oil if you think there's too much before adding the garlic and onion. For reference, I generally remove two to three tablespoons of oil every time I make this Spanish stew recipe.

Nutrition