Red Wine & Bone Broth Beef Stew (The High-Protein “Fairlife” Remix)
Notes
There is nothing quite like a 3-hour stew to fix a Chicago winter day (or recover from a heavy Upper Body workout). Usually, beef stew is a sodium bomb served over heavy, buttery potatoes. But since I’m cutting to 15% body fat, I needed to keep the comfort but drop the fat.
This is the Purple Donkey Remix: We used Lean Beef chunks and swapped the heavy cream in the mash for Fairlife 0% Milk (which has double the protein of regular milk). The result? A rich, velvety stew that sits on a cloud of potatoes without weighing you down.
The “Macro” Swaps:
- The Broth: Kettle & Fire Bone Broth (Collagen + Protein) instead of salty bouillon cubes.
- The Mash: Fairlife 0% Milk + a tiny pat of butter creates a smooth, “not tight” texture without the calorie load of heavy cream.
- The Sodium: Almost zero added salt. The flavor comes from the wine reduction and herbs, not the shaker.
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The Stew:
- Lean Beef Chunks (trimmed of fat)
- Red Wine (Cabernet or Merlot work best)
- Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
- Aromatics: Diced Onion, Minced Garlic
- Herbs: Thyme, Oregano, 1 Bay Leaf
- Finishers: Carrots & Peas (frozen or fresh)
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The “Protein” Mash:
- Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Fairlife Fat-Free Milk (for smoothness and protein)
- 1 tsp Butter (just for flavor)
- The Brown: Sear the lean beef chunks in the pot until they develop a deep crust. This is where the flavor lives.
- The Base: Add the onions and garlic, sautéing until fragrant.
- The Simmer: Deglaze the pan with the Red Wine, scraping up the browned bits. Pour in the Bone Broth and add your Thyme, Oregano, and Bay Leaf.
- The Wait: Lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and let it go for 3 hours. This breaks down the lean beef until it’s tender without needing fatty marbling.
- The Veg: In the last 30 minutes, toss in your carrots and peas. (Adding them late keeps them crisp and bright, not mushy).
- The Mash: Boil your potatoes until soft. Mash them with the butter and slowly splash in the Fairlife milk until the texture is smooth and creamy.
- Serve: Ladle the stew right over the potatoes. The thick wine sauce acts as the gravy.