Cowboy Stew
This cowboy stew recipe layers crisp bacon, browned ground beef, and smoked kielbasa with beans, potatoes, and corn in a smoky, Southwestern-spiced broth that thickens itself into something closer to chili.
Equipment
- 7-quart Dutch oven or heavy soup pot - Needs to be large since this recipe makes a lot
- Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula - For crumbling the beef
- Slotted spoon - To lift out the crisp bacon
- Sharp chef's knife - For the sausage, potatoes, and onion
- Ladle - For serving
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon - 170 g, chopped
- 1 lb ground beef - 450 g, 85% to 90% lean
- 14 oz smoked kielbasa sausage - 400 g, sliced into half-moons
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 3 medium russet potatoes - about 1.5 lb / 680 g, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 can pinto beans - 15 oz / 425 g, drained and rinsed
- 1 can kidney beans - 15 oz / 425 g, drained and rinsed
- 1 can baked beans - 15 oz / 425 g, undrained
- 1 can diced tomatoes - 14.5 oz / 411 g, undrained
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies - 10 oz / 283 g, undrained
- 1 can whole kernel corn - 15 oz / 425 g, drained
- 2 cups beef broth - 480 ml
- 1 cup water - 240 ml
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt - plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- chopped fresh parsley - for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set your Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pieces are brown and crisp.
- Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and set it on a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off the excess fat, leaving about 1 to 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
- Add the ground beef, diced onion, and minced garlic to the pot with the reserved drippings. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking the beef into fine crumbles, for 6 to 8 minutes until no longer pink.
- Drain off any excess grease, then add the sliced kielbasa to the pot with the beef. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the sausage picks up some color on the cut edges.
- Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cubed potatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, baked beans, diced tomatoes, Rotel, and corn. Pour in the beef broth and water, then stir in the reserved crisp bacon.
- Raise the heat and bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Taste and add more salt or chili powder if needed. Adjust thickness with broth or by mashing a few potato cubes, then ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Use russet potatoes for a thicker stew since they break down at the edges and thicken the broth. If you want cubes that hold their shape, use Yukon gold instead.
- Don't drain the baked beans, tomatoes, or Rotel. That liquid carries flavor and helps build the broth.
- Brown in batches if your pot is crowded. Meat steams instead of browning when it's packed too tight, and you lose that fond on the bottom.
- Bloom the spices in the fat. One minute in the hot drippings transforms the flavor compared to dumping them into the liquid.
- Simmer longer for deeper flavor. Fifteen minutes gets you dinner, but an hour gets you the good stuff.
- Make it a day ahead when you can. The stew tastes noticeably better after a night in the fridge, once the smoky and spicy notes have time to settle together.
- Taste before you salt. Bacon, kielbasa, and canned beans all bring sodium, so wait until the end to judge.
- Slow cooker version: Brown the bacon, beef, and sausage first, then transfer everything to a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Instant Pot version: Use the sauté function to brown the meats, add everything else, then pressure cook on high for 10 minutes with a quick release.
- Storage: Cool the stew, then store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months. For the best texture, leave the potatoes out and add fresh ones when you reheat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 24gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 1050mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8g
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