Cauldron of Beef and Pumpkin Stew

This is a hearty beef stew built for a Halloween dinner. The stew is cooked on the stovetop with browned beef, aromatics, tomato paste, stock, pumpkin, and potatoes until the meat is tender and the broth is thickened. For the themed presentation, you can serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin, but the recipe also works well in a regular bowl or pot.

By Julienne

Cook time: 95 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 680 g beef chuck cut into 3 cm cubes
• 5 g fine salt divided
• 2 g black pepper ground
• 20 g all-purpose flour for dredging
• 25 ml neutral oil divided
• 180 g yellow onion diced
• 160 g carrot peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 100 g celery diced
• 5 ml neutral oil divided
• 12 g garlic minced
• 30 g tomato paste
• 2 g dried thyme
• 2 g smoked paprika
• 1 g ground cinnamon
• 750 ml beef stock hot
• 240 g pumpkin puree
• 300 g Yukon Gold potato cut into 2 cm chunks
• 1 each bay leaf
• 10 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 15 ml apple cider vinegar
• 6 g fine salt divided
• 8 g fresh parsley chopped
• 1 each small pumpkin for serving, optional hollowed-out presentation vessel

Instructions

1. Pat the beef dry. Toss it with 5 g of the salt, the black pepper, and the flour until lightly coated. The beef looks evenly dusted but not pasty.
2. Heat 15 ml of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in 2 batches, adding 10 ml oil for the second batch only if the pot looks dry. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl. The beef has browned edges and the pot has fond on the bottom.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and the remaining 5 ml oil. Cook, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. The vegetables are softened and fragrant, with no raw garlic smell.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. The tomato paste darkens slightly and smells caramelized.
5. Add the browned beef, beef stock, pumpkin puree, potato, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and the remaining 6 g salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover partially and cook over low heat for 75 to 85 minutes, stirring occasionally. The beef is fork-tender and the potato is fully cooked without falling apart.
6. Remove the bay leaf. If the stew is too thick, loosen it with up to 60 ml hot water. Taste and adjust with a little more salt only if needed. Stir in the parsley just before serving. The stew is glossy, balanced, and spoonable; the parsley stays bright green.
7. For the Halloween presentation, if using the optional pumpkin bowl, hollow it out, roast it cut-side down at 200 C for 20 minutes on a tray if you want it firmer, then ladle in the stew just before serving. The pumpkin vessel is stable and warm, and the stew fills it without leaking.