Hawaiian-Style Beef Stew (Hawaiʻi Local Plate-Lunch Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven or thick-bottomed stew pot
• •Wooden spoon for scraping the pot
• •Rice cooker for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the beef

   Pat the beef dry, then season it with the salt and pepper. Toss with the flour until every piece has a light coat. That little bit of flour helps the gravy grab later, not thick like paste, just enough to cling to the rice.

2. 2

   Brown it hard

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, giving the pieces room so they color deep brown on the edges instead of sweating gray. Take your time here. The bottom of the pot should look dark and sticky, like it has something to say.

3. 3

   Build the tomato

   Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook until it softens and picks up the beef drippings. Stir in the garlic for one minute, then the tomato paste, cooking until it darkens brick-red and smells sweet, not raw.

4. 4

   Simmer it soft

   Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, Worcestershire, shoyu, and sugar if the tomato tastes sharp. Scrape the bottom clean, return the beef to the pot, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cover partly and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef gives when you press it with a spoon but is not falling to strings yet.

   Slow cooker style: after browning, move everything through this step into a slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, adding the vegetables for the last 2 hours.
5. 5

   Add the vegetables

   Add the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Simmer uncovered 35 to 45 minutes, stirring gently now and then, until the potatoes are soft at the center and the carrots have no crunch left. If the gravy gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of water. If it is thin, let it cook down until glossy.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Stir in the peas if using and cook just long enough for them to turn bright. Pull out the bay leaves, taste for salt, then let the stew sit 10 minutes so the gravy settles down. Spoon it over hot white rice, two scoops if you're eating plate-lunch style, with mac salad if you want the full plate. No blame the plate for being humble.

Chef Tips

• •Chuck is the right cut. It has the fat and connective tissue to turn soft in the pot. Lean stew meat can work, but if it dries out, no blame the stew. The meat didn't have much to give.
• •The rice matters because this is Local food. The gravy should be loose enough to run into the rice, not so tight it sits on top like a sauce.
• •Eat what you have. Frozen peas, canned tomatoes, boxed broth, leftover rice, all fine. This dish came from working kitchens, not from somebody trying to make dinner precious.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the stew one day ahead if you can. Chill it in its gravy, skim any hard fat from the top, and reheat gently with a splash of water.
• •Cut the carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, and garlic up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them covered. Keep the potatoes in water so they don't brown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 650g)