Artichoke Beef Stew

Late May. James came to Bellevue. The introduction. Karen made pot roast. David shook James's hand with the firm grip of an engineer evaluating a structural component. James ate pot roast with genuine appreciation. He complimented the gravy. He asked David about Boeing. He ate seconds.

After dinner Karen whispered to me in the kitchen: "He eats well." In Korean culture, eating well is the highest compliment. Karen used a Korean standard without knowing it. The convergence is perfect.

I brought japchae. James tried it and said the sesame flavor was perfect. Four years of practice. It shows.

The evening was warm and easy and the table held Korean food and American food and a Taiwanese man and an adopted Korean daughter and white American parents and the holding was effortless because the table has been practicing for three years and the practice has made the holding easy.

On the drive home James said, "Your parents are wonderful." I said, "They are." He said, "And your japchae is better than any restaurant." I said, "I know." He laughed. The laugh was the evening. The evening was the beginning of James at the Bellevue table, a new presence at a table that keeps getting wider.

Karen’s pot roast that night was the kind of meal that does the welcoming before anyone says a word — slow-cooked, deeply savory, asking nothing of the guest except to sit down and eat. I’ve been chasing that feeling in my own kitchen ever since, and this Artichoke Beef Stew is the closest I’ve come: the same long, patient heat, the same gravy that pools around everything and holds it together. It’s the dish I make now when someone new is coming to the table and I want them to feel, before dessert, that they already belong there.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hr 15 min | Total Time: 2 hr 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
3 medium carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for dusting beef)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Season and sear the beef. Pat beef cubes dry and dust lightly with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared beef to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. In the same pot, add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, letting it caramelize slightly against the bottom of the pot.
Deglaze and combine. Pour in the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the seared beef to the pot and stir to combine.
Simmer low and slow. Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef begins to turn tender.
Add vegetables. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot. Cover and continue simmering for 30–40 minutes, until vegetables are fork-tender and the beef is falling-apart soft.
Finish with artichokes. Stir in the quartered artichoke hearts and cook uncovered for a final 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the broth to thicken slightly. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve. Ladle into deep bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or over egg noodles.

Nutrition (per serving)

Artichoke Beef Stew — The Table That Keeps Getting Wider