Hearty Beef Stew

This is a perfect stew for an brisk autumn night. Rich broth surrounding beef, potatoes, peas, and carrots is only improved upon by what bread you serve with it. Make sure it's something that can sop up every last morsel!

Make sure you leave yourself enough time to make this. Not once, but TWICE have I not given myself enough time for that last hour in the oven after the potatoes and carrots are added. Thank goodness it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you don't have enough time to make it before dinner, just make it one night and serve it the next!

Hearty Beef Stew
from America's Test Kitchen via Good Things Catered
Makes 4-6 servings

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped coarse (about 2 cups)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. full-bodied dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoons dried thyme
4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-in. cubes
4 large carrots (about 1 lb.) or 16 ounce bag of baby carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup minced parsley

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Dry beef throughly and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half the meat so that pieces are not touching and cook not moving until brown (about 2-3 minutes). Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned (about 5 additional minutes). Trasfer beef to medium bowl and add another 1 tablespoon oil to pan, repeating previous steps with other half of beef.

Reduce heat to medium and add additional 1 tablespoon oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 minutes).

Add wine, scraping the bottom and stiring until thick and flour is dissolved. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan. Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer. Add beef, return to simmer, and place the pot in the oven.

Cook for 1 hour. Add potatoes and carrots cover and return to the oven to cook for additional hour. Remove the pot from oven (here you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days).

Add the peas, cover and allow to stand for 5 min. Stir in the parsley, discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.