Make it with or without the wine. This hearty beef stew is sure to please on a cool fall night.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 6–8
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch chunks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced into thick chunks, or baby carrots
2 yellow onions, chopped or sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine*
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1½ teaspoons fresh)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 10-ounce bag frozen pearl onions
Thyme, for garnish
Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a platter. Season beef chunks with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear in the same pan until brown on all sides, about 3–5 minutes. Remove to same platter as bacon. Repeat until all beef is seared.
Into the same pan, add carrots and yellow onions and cook for 10–15 minutes until onions are lightly brown. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Return beef and bacon back to the pan, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the platter. Add the wine and beef broth, enough to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme and stir well. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and place in preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour or until meat and vegetables are fork-tender.
While meat is in oven, combine 2 tablespoons of butter with flour; roll into 3–4 small balls and set aside. When stew comes out of the oven, stir in butter-flour balls, one at a time, to thicken the stew. In a saute pan, over medium heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter and saute mushrooms until brown, about 10 minutes. Stir into stew along with frozen onions. On top of the stove, over medium heat, bring stew to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. Garnish with additional fresh thyme.
*If you do not want to use wine in this dish, substitute with additional beef broth instead.
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