6 people
DINNER
Ina Garten Back to Basics (p. 124)
Chuck beef - 2 1⁄2 lbs
Bacon - 6 oz
Red wine - 750 ml bottle
Garlic - 9 cloves
Yellow onions - 2
Carrots - 1 lb
Baby gold potatoes - 1 lb
Rosemary - 2 sprigs
Bay leaves - 3
All-purpose flour - 2 1⁄4 cups
Beef stock - 14 oz
Sun-dried tomatoes - 1⁄2 cup
Worcestershire suace - 2 tbl
Frozen peas - 10 oz
Beef - cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
Garlic - smash 3 cloves, mince 6 cloves
Bacon - cut into 1-inch pieces
Yellow onions - chop to yield 2 cups
Carrots - peel and cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks
Baby potatoes - cut in halves or quarters
Sun-dried tomatoes - drain of oil and slice
Place the beef in a bowl with the red wine, 3 smashed garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cover the bowl and marinate the beef in the refrigerator overnight.
Brown the bacon in a large saute pan for 5 to 7 minutes, over medium-low heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a Dutch oven. Combine 2 cups of the flour, 1 tbl salt and 1 tbl pepper in a bowl. Lift the beef out of the marinade and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches dredge the beef cubes in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. In the same saute pan, brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place the browned beef in the Dutch oven with the bacon and brown the remaining beef. Add the second batch to the Dutch oven when finished.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Lower the heat under the saute pan to medium-low, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the carrots and potatoes, cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven with the beef. Add 2 1⁄2 cups of the reserved marinade (discard the rest) to the saute pan and cook over high heat to de-glaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, rosemary sprig, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbl salt and 2 tsp pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 275 degrees.
When the stew is done and the meat is tender, discard the rosemary branch. Ladle 1 cup of the pan juices into a bowl and whisk in 2 tbl of flour. Pour the mixture back into the stew, stir gently and simmer for 3 minutes until thickened. Stir in the frozen peas, season to taste and serve hot.