Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 8 ounces thick bacon, diced
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic(2 cloves)
- 1 bottle good dry red wine I used Pinot Noir (Gotta love the French and their wine!)
- 1 can (2 cups) beef broth or water. Broth is probably tastier.
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
Preparation
Step 1
Two options, you can use a dutch oven so you can later transfer it into the oven to finish cooking. Or, just kept it over low heat in the pan you started in.
Cook bacon.
After cooked through remove bacon and set aside.
For the best results you should towel dry the beef and cook one layer at a time.
Place beef in bacon fat, brown on all sides and remove.
Add a little butter or olive oil, depending on how healthy you are feeling, and throw in the carrots and onions.
Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are brown.
Add the garlic towards the end and sautee until frangrant, just a minute or two.
Now grab your Pinot Noir. Take a swig. Maybe two.
Then, wait for it… pour the entire contents of the bottle into the stew. You might want to take three swigs.
Add enough beef broth or water to cover the meat, potatoes, tomato paste, and thyme and bring to a boil.
Here is where you can choose. If you have the dutch oven, you can put it in the oven at 250 degrees for a little over an hour.
If using stove top method, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beef and veggies are cooked through and tender.