Winter Beef Stew

  • 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup good red wine
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 medium red potatoes, diced in 1 inch cubes
  • 4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped


Heat oven to 300. In a large, flat bottomed Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Dry and season beef with salt and pepper. In 2 batches, brown the meat on all sides, placing browned meat aside in a bowl. Add the remaining oil and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and sauté, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine and bay leaf and stir, increase heat and simmer until wine is reduced by 1/2. Add stock and meat (and any juice that has collected in the bowl with the meat), meat should be covered or just barely covered with liquid, if more is needed add more stock or water. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and add carrots and potatoes. Return to oven and cook until meat is tender, juicy and falling apart and vegetables are cooked. Adjust seasoning and serve (great over pasta or rice) sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.