- 1 Tb. olive oil
- 8 oz. bacon, diced
- 2 1/2 lbs. chuck beef cut into one-inch cubes
- S+P
- 1 lb. carrots, sliced diagonally into one-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 stp. chopped garlic
- 1 bottle dry red wine (like a Pinot Noir)
- 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
- 1 Tb. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 4 Tb. unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 Tb. all-purpose flour
- 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add bacon and cook over medium about 10 minutes, stirring a bit until it is brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large plate (but leave bacon grease in the pot).
Dry the beef cubes with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. In single layer batches, sear the beef cubes on all four sides in the olive oil/bacon grease (about three to five minutes). Remove the cubes to the plate with the bacon and keep this up until all the beef is browned.
Add carrots, onions, a tablespoon of salt, and two teaspoons of pepper to the pot. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Put the meat and bacon back in the pot. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, cover the pot with a lid, and slide in the oven for about two hours until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender.
Take the pot out of the oven and onto the stovetop. Combine 2Tb of butter and the flour with a fork. Stir the product into the stew to thicken.
Sauté the mushrooms in two more tablespoons of butter until lightly browned, and add to the stew. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes. Season to taste.
To serve, toast thick slices of bread, then rub them with a cut clove of garlic. The garlic melts into the hot bread like magic. For serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley. (You could also serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles) Serve in shallow bowls.
*Leave out the wine and it’s beef stew. You can even add some cubed red potatoes near the end.