By Katie-Rose Watson
This Hearty Beef Stew is such an easy recipe. It’s perfect for entertaining, since it’s inexpensive, flavorful, and a one-pot wonder. A tablespoon of balsamic, bay leaves, and great wine (I used Marl, a Merlot and Syrah blend) transform this dish into a showstopper.
Serve the stew with good, crusty bread, European butter, and French grey salt. I hope you find this recipe as comforting and perfect as I do. Enjoy.
Ingredients
2 lbs stew meat
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups diced yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water, divided
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
Thyme and rosemary sprigs
2-4 large carrots
Italian parsley for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rinse stew meat and pat dry with a paper towel. Toss with 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, salt, and pepper. Brown in one tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stove over a medium flame, working in batches. Remove to a plate. Lower heat, add one tablespoon butter, and cook onion for a few minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one or two minutes, until fragrant.
2. Deglaze the pan with two cups of water. Toss in two beef bouillon cubes, one cup of red wine, one tablespoon of balsamic, and the remaining two cups of water. Add bay leaves and potatoes and add the stew meat back in. Tie rosemary and thyme in a bouquet with kitchen twine and add to dutch oven. Put the lid on and pop it in the oven for two hours.
3. Peel carrots and cut into rounds (or quarter first if they’re huge). Take the stew out of the oven, add carrots, then return to the oven for another hour to hour and a half. It’s ready as soon as the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.
Katie Rose-Watson is the author of the beautifully illustrated cookbook The Rose Table and the cooking and entertaining blog, www.therosetable.com. Her imaginative Disney Dinners have been featured on several national news media outlets.
