Beef Stew with Caramelized Onions for Full GAPS

Caramelized onions give this beef stew a rich base, and a low, covered oven braise makes the chuck tender. A spoonful of Dijon and chopped parsley go in at the end, adding a sharper, fresher finish to the beef and gravy.

This is a warming dinner for fall or winter, with most of the cooking time spent in the oven. Give the onions your attention at the stove first. Once the pot is covered, the beef has a long, gentle braise ahead of it.

The method comes from Deliciously Organic’s beef stew. This version keeps the recipe’s stock-in-place-of-wine option: three cups of prepared chicken meat stock in all. The finished pot serves six.

Have the Components Ready

Start with finished homemade chicken meat stock. That recipe begins with raw, meaty chicken parts, then cooks and strains them. For this stew, you are measuring the completed stock, not adding raw chicken or starting a second stockpot halfway through dinner.

The cooking fat is homemade ghee. Measure two tablespoons from the finished jar and use it for the onions. Have the flour, garlic and thyme beside the stove so you can add them in order once the onions are ready.

Use prepared alcohol-free homemade Dijon mustard for the finishing tablespoon. Make it ahead because its seeds soak before blending. The separate traditional wine-based Dijon remains available too; that jar contains uncooked wine and is not alcohol-free.

Beef, Onions and a Little Coconut Flour

Trim three pounds of beef chuck and cut it into pieces about 1½ inches across. Keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly. The beef goes into the cooking liquid after the onions are ready; this method does not brown the meat in a separate pan.

Slice four yellow onions thinly. They shrink and soften as they cook, becoming part of the gravy rather than staying as a few large onion wedges. Stir frequently while they release their liquid and begin to brown.

Two tablespoons of fine, pure, additive-free coconut flour thicken the liquid. Measure it separately and stir it through the cooked onions for one minute before adding the garlic and thyme. Coarse shredded coconut and wet coconut pulp are different ingredients and will not give the same measured thickening.

Keep the honey and cider vinegar with the ingredients that go into the braise. Keep the Dijon and chopped parsley separate for the finish. That little bit of organization makes it easier to follow the cooking order without adding the fresh parsley too early.

How to Make the Stew

1. Heat the oven. Set a rack in the middle-low position and preheat to 250°F. Have a heavy ovenproof pot and its fitted lid ready.
2. Cook the onions slowly. Heat the ghee over medium-low heat. Add the onions and stir frequently until they release liquid, about 10 minutes. Continue for about 15 minutes more, until softened and caramelized. If the bottom browns too quickly, push the onions aside, add a small splash of water and scrape up the browned bits.
3. Add the flour and aromatics. Stir in the coconut flour and cook for one minute. Make a well in the center, add the minced garlic and dried thyme, and cook for about 45 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Add the braising ingredients. Pour in the chicken meat stock, scraping the bottom as you stir. Add the beef, honey, cider vinegar, bay leaves and measured salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Cover and braise. Fit the lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for about 2½ hours, until the beef is tender when checked with a fork. Handle the pot and lid as hot cookware when you check it.
6. Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the prepared Dijon and all the chopped parsley, then taste and add more salt if needed. Ladle the beef, onions and gravy together into six servings.

The onion stage builds the flavor before the long oven cook. Look for soft slices with golden browning, and scrape up the brown coating on the pot while it is still brown rather than black. Keep the heat moderate instead of rushing this stage with a high burner.

At the end of the braise, a fork should pass into a piece of beef easily. The onions should be very soft in the gravy. If a piece still resists the fork, it needs more time in the covered pot; increasing the oven temperature is not the way to rush it.

Pot Size and Cooking Time

Use a large Dutch oven or another heavy pot with an oven-safe lid. It needs room for the beef, sliced onions and cooking liquid, with space for you to stir. Check that the lid, handles and knob are suitable for the oven temperature.

I use Le Creuset Artichaut cookware, but you can use a suitable covered pot you already own. The important features for this method are the heavy base, enough working room and a lid that stays fitted during the braise. Have oven mitts and a heat-safe place ready for the hot pot.

The card allows five minutes of preparation and about three hours of cooking, including the onion stage and oven braise. Allow more preparation time if you still need to slice the onions, trim and cut the beef, or make the stock, ghee or mustard. Those components should be ready before the ghee is heated.

Where This Fits on GAPS

This is a Full GAPS stew after its ingredients have been introduced and tolerated. It uses homemade meat stock, ghee, beef, vegetables, herbs, honey, cider vinegar, prepared mustard and pure coconut flour. The caramelized onions and coconut-flour thickening make it a different preparation from an early Intro stew.

Ghee is dairy-derived, so this is not labeled dairy-free. There are no egg ingredients or tree nuts in the written formula; it does contain coconut and mustard. Use the food forms you have already introduced rather than adding several unfamiliar ingredients in one meal.

Serving, Storage and a Double Batch

Serve the stew on its own, with some beef, onions and gravy in each bowl. The mustard and parsley belong in the whole finished pot, so stir them through before dividing the servings.

You can make the stew up to two days ahead. Cool it promptly in suitable containers, cover and refrigerate. Reheat on the stove, stirring so the beef and gravy become hot throughout. Keep the waiting portions refrigerated while you reheat what you need.

For twelve servings, select 2× on the card. Use two original-size batches or enough suitable covered pots rather than crowding double the beef and onions into the same pot. Keep the beef pieces the same size and check for tenderness; the oven time does not automatically double.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is There Chicken Stock in Beef Stew?

The stock is the prepared cooking liquid around the beef and onions. This version uses three cups of homemade chicken meat stock, including the stock that replaces the wine. Keep that total rather than adding another three cups.

Does the Beef Need to Be Seared?

No. Cook the onions first, then add the beef after the stock. The covered oven braise is the meat-cooking step in this recipe.

When Do I Add the Mustard?

After the beef is tender and the pot is out of the oven. Stir in the tablespoon of prepared Dijon and the quarter-cup parsley together. Measure finished mustard from its jar, not dry mustard powder.

Can I Use a Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker?

This recipe follows the covered 250°F oven method. A different appliance would need its own cooking schedule, so keep this card with the oven braise.

The planned Soups & Stews Cookbook will bring more of these family meals together. Check the WFLI shop for current resources and upcoming releases. For this stew, having the stock and mustard ready is the useful first job.