Turkish Slow-Cooked Beef and Vegetable Stew (Güveç)

Name: Turkish Slow-Cooked Beef and Vegetable Stew (Güveç)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes; 1 large onion, coarsely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 1 small carrot, peeled and grated; 3 large tomatoes, cut into eighths; 5 medium green Anaheim chiles, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 large eggplant, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 7 cups water; ½ cup Turkish pepper paste or tomato paste; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Recipe GLPRd01a0d8c4dc11d

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Middle Eastern

Main Course

270 min

295 cal

Servings: 6

Slow Cooker

SNAP eligible

A rustic Turkish clay-pot stew featuring tender beef chuck simmered with fresh tomatoes, aromatic garlic, green chiles, eggplant, and carrot in a savory pepper paste base. This warming, naturally dairy-free braise develops deep, complex flavors through slow cooking and requires no added oil, allowing the vegetables to release their own moisture. Traditionally cooked in a güveç (earthenware pot), it serves as a satisfying, protein-rich main course.

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Ingredients

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and grated

3 large tomatoes, cut into eighths

5 medium green Anaheim chiles, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

7 cups water

½ cup Turkish pepper paste or tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Directions

Prepare all vegetables: Coarsely chop the onion and garlic, peel and grate the carrot, cut tomatoes into eighths, seed the chiles and cut into 1-inch pieces, and cut the eggplant into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Trim any excess fat from the beef chuck and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
In a large heavy pot or güveç (earthenware pot), combine the chopped onion, garlic, and grated carrot. Layer the beef cubes on top, then add the tomato pieces and chile pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk together the pepper paste or tomato paste with 1 cup of the water until smooth. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved.
Pour the paste mixture over the beef and vegetables in the pot. Add the remaining 6 cups of water, stirring gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Add the eggplant pieces to the pot and stir to distribute throughout. Continue simmering partially covered for another hour, or until the beef is very tender and the flavors have melded, stirring occasionally.
The stew is ready when the beef reaches an internal temperature of 145°F and breaks apart easily with a fork, and the eggplant is soft and translucent. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the rich broth.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

Turkish pepper paste is the singular sourcing challenge here—it's not stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, or ALDI in Charlotte, so you'll need a trip to a Middle Eastern or specialty grocery. That said, the rest of the ingredient list is straightforward chain fare: beef chuck and eggplant are cheap and reliable, and green Anaheim chiles appear regularly at most major grocers. The 270-minute timer is honest for a proper braise; this is genuinely a slow-cooker or Dutch-oven dish that rewards time but requires planning. It reheats beautifully, making it excellent for batch cooking, and the flavors deepen after a day. The main caveat is that Turkish pepper paste adds specific character to the dish—a substitute like tomato paste with paprika will approximate it but won't deliver the same depth, so factor in either the specialty-store stop or a recipe adjustment.