Hearty Autumn Beef Stew

By kimvess

This bold beef stew is the classic one-dish dinner. It'll please everyone around the table, perfect for a crisp fall evening.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef, good quality, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 750 milliliter bottle good red wine
• 3 garlic cloves, whole, smashed
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 ounces bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
• All purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved and quartered
• 1 14 1/2 ounce can beef stock
• 1 large branch fresh rosemary (or 2 small branches)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 10 ounce package frozen peas

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from recipe.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the beef in a bowl with the red wine, whole garlic, and bay leaves. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
3. Brown the bacon over medium-low heat. Transfer the bacon to a Dutch oven. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and shake off excess. In the saute pan, brown half the beef over medium heat, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in the Dutch oven with the bacon and continue to brown the remaining beef, placing it all in the Dutch oven.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, add onions to the saute pan, and cook. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots and potatoes cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven with the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade (discard the rest) to the saute pan and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring it to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are tender. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 degrees F to 275 degrees F.
5. When the stew is done and the meat is tender, whisk 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 cup of the sauce together and pour it back into the stew. Simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened. Stir in frozen peas, season to taste and serve hot.