French Beef Stew (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Meat
01 -
6 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped up
02 -
2 lbs of beef chuck, sliced into 1.5-inch chunks
→ Vegetables
03 -
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
04 -
12 peeled pearl onions
05 -
1 large yellow onion, diced
06 -
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced in half
07 -
2 peeled and sliced carrots
→ Liquids
08 -
2 cups of beef broth
09 -
2 cups of dry red wine
→ Seasonings
10 -
Some salt and pepper, as you like
11 -
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
12 -
A single bay leaf
→ Other
13 -
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
14 -
2 tablespoons of olive oil
15 -
2 tablespoons of butter
16 -
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
# Instructions:
01 -
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and let it heat up.
02 -
In a big Dutch oven, cook up the bacon bits over medium heat until they’re crispy. Scoop them out but leave the drippings behind.
03 -
Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the beef chunks. Using the bacon grease, sear the beef in bits and pieces until browned. Then take them out.
04 -
Add those diced onions and carrot slices to the bacon fat. Stir over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Toss in the minced garlic and tomato paste and mix for a minute.
05 -
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stirring and cooking for a quick one or two minutes.
06 -
Slowly pour in the red wine, scraping up all the bits stuck to the pot as you go. Next, add the beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, seared beef, and crispy bacon. Let it start bubbling.
07 -
Put the lid on the pot and transfer to the hot oven. Let it cook for 2 and a half hours, giving it a stir about halfway through.
08 -
In a separate skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions until golden, about 8 minutes.
09 -
Add the cooked mushrooms and pearl onions to your stew in the last half hour of oven cooking.
10 -
Check if it needs more salt or pepper. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving.