One-Pot Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

Stewed buckwheat with beef is a Ukrainian staple. A play on pilaf, it’s an ultra-savory dish of buckwheat, veggies, and tender chucks of beef. Made in one-pot, it’s an easy way to put a healthy dinner on the table on those days you don’t feel like making an elaborate meal. Hello, easy kitchen clean up.

Growing up in Ukraine, my mom made buckwheat on a weekly basis. Throughout Eastern Europe, it’s widely available, affordable, and packed with fiber and protein. Many Ukrainians can relate to taking it for granted when they were young, but growing to love buckwheat and craving it as adults.

How to Make Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

Making stewed buckwheat with beef is as simple as it gets. It’s the ultimate “set it and forget it” kind of meal. Below, find a quick overview of the recipe.

• Slice and brown beef: Slice your beef into 1-inch cubes. In a skillet with a lid (you could also use a deep Staub Pan), brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Slice and sauté veggies: Sauté mushrooms. Set aside. Sauté carrots and onions in the same skillet. Return beef and mushrooms to the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and cook: Add buckwheat, Better than Bouillon Beef Base, and hot water to the skillet. Cover with lid and cook.

Tips for the Best Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

Below, find a collection of tips to help you make the absolute best stewed buckwheat and beef.

• Choosing the best beef for your stew. Ribeye is the best cut your can use for stewed beef and buckwheat. But if you can’t get your hands on it, any other fatty cut of beef will do. Other options include skirt steak, t-bone, New York strip, porterhouse, filet mignon, and flap steak.
• Cut beef into similar-sized, small pieces. To yield the best bite and texture, make certain to slice your beef into similar sized cubes. The more uniform the pieces, the more even the cooking. There’s nothing worse than biting into a rubbery, overcooked piece of beef that’s hard to chew.
• Cut beef against the grain. Cutting beef against the grain makes it much more tender and easier to chew. By cutting against the muscle grains instead of alongside them, you break up the tougher parts of the meat and get more uniform slices.
• Use toasted buckwheat versus raw. Toasted buckwheat has a much nuttier, rich taste then raw. It also cooks much faster, isn’t prone to getting mushy, and doesn’t need to be soaked overnight.
• Switch up the protein. If you’re not a fan of beef, feel free to substitute chicken or pork. You could even go completely vegetarian by omitting the meat all together and using Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base.

Serving Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

Stewed buckwheat and beef is a meal all on its own. However, if you want to round it out, pair it with a marinated beet salad. If you want to go the traditional route, whip up a batch of homemade pickles. Eastern Europeans love to cut the fatty, savory taste of beef with the acidity of pickled veggies. It’s a flavor combination that never gets old…

Storing Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

• Refrigerating: Store leftover stewed buckwheat and beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to a week.
• Freezing: Allow stewed buckwheat and beef to completely cool. Transfer it to a freezer safe bag and pop in the freezer. Frozen stewed buckwheat and beef will stay fresh for up to 3 months.

FAQ

More Buckwheat Recipes

• Buckwheat With Mushrooms – Protein-rich veggie dish
• Buckwheat Meat Patties Recipe – Hearty buckwheat and ground meat patties
• Healthy Buckwheat Soup – Filling buckwheat and meat soup
• Stuffed Bell Peppers – Peppers stuffed with buckwheat

Recipe

Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

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Servings

12 Servings

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

Bursting with tender beef and packed with veggies, this one-pot stewed buckwheat and beef is the epitome of comfort food.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef
• 1 lbs mushrooms sliced
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 carrots half rings
• 1 tbsp salt to taste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• 1 cup buckwheat
• 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Broth Base
• 1 1/2 cup hot water

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Cut beef into 1-inch slices against the grain. In a deep skillet, brown beef pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  
• In the same skillet, brown mushrooms. Remove and set aside.
  
• Add onion and carrots to the same skillet and cook until they are golden brown. Add beef and mushrooms back to the skillet. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  
• Add buckwheat, broth base, and hot water to skillet.
  
• Cover it with a lid. Allow it to simmer on low for about 40 minutes ,or until all the ingredients are cooked through. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Stewed Buckwheat and Beef

Amount Per Serving

Calories 278 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 54mg18%

Sodium 643mg27%

Potassium 438mg13%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 1700IU34%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 25mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.