Beef Stew

Beef stew is quintessential comfort food. It’s slow cooked and has such a deep flavor. It’s great in cold weather, but I can eat it any time of year.

Ingredients

Beef (and bones) Chicken stock Carrots Onions Celery Garlic Red wine Parsley Rosemary Potatoes

Bacon Thyme Peas Bay leaves Balsamic vinegar Butter Olive oil Flour Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste)

Directions

Start by cooking a bit of bacon until it’s crispy, then remove it, clean your pan, and sear chunks of beef (and bones if you have them) in a bit of olive oil until it’s nicely browned. Next, sauté your chopped onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until it’s lightly caramelized.

Add your garlic toward the end, then add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste and allow it to cook briefly. Next, add red wine (2-3 cups or more…be generous), a splash of balsamic vinegar, and enough chicken stock to cover everything. Add chopped parsley, peeled and cubed potatoes, rosemary, thyme, and a couple of bay leaves.

Season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer for 2-3 hours.

When the cooking is almost done, remove the cover and allow the stew to thicken a bit. Next, mix several tablespoons of flour and butter together (equal parts), then stir it into the stew (a small portion at a time).

When the flour and butter are fully incorporated, add your peas and cook briefly (2-3 minutes).

Finally, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with some good olive oil, a glass of wine, and enjoy.