We’re typically not big beef eaters (I try and stay with leaner things like poultry and fish), but occasionally I get cravings for a hearty dish with red meat, especially in winter.  Since I had a chuck roast on hand, I made beef stew and mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner.  How much more American can you get?  I guess I’m getting into the Thanksgiving mood…

This recipe is kind of off the top of my head with amounts, since I’m cooking for 2 instead of 20.  With the holidays coming up, I also didn’t want to have a ton of leftovers.  This recipe made 4 generous portions– we polished off 2 and will eat the remaining 2 soon.

It’s essentially a classic beef stew, but the addition of red wine (a la beef bourguignon) makes it quite tasty.

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 lbs boneless chuck roast, well-marbled
4 medium carrots
10 large mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 tsp each thyme, salt, pepper
1 bay leaf
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup flour
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (I used chicken-flavored Better Than Bouillon, since that’s what I have on hand– it still tasted good!)
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Prep:

Cut the carrots, mushrooms, and onions into large chunks almost the size of the beef cubes so they don’t get lost in the final dish.

Trim the meat of excess fat and cut into 1″ cubes.  If you freeze the meat for 15-20 minutes prior to cutting, it will solidify just a little, making it easier to work with and get clean cuts.  I also use this trick when I need thin slices of chicken, pork, or beef for a stir-fry.

Instructions:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large pan.  I like pans with lots of surface area since you can brown the beef in larger batches.

Put the cubed meat in a bowl or ziploc bag, and sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper.  Add Worcestershire sauce and mix until the beef is coated well.

Working in batches if necessary, brown beef in the pan, then remove to a separate platter.

Saute the crushed garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms in the same pan for about 10-15 min, using a little bit of stock or red wine to help deglaze the brown bits from the bottom.

While the veggies are cooking, sprinkle the beef with flour, making sure each piece is well coated.

Add the coated beef back into the pan, using additional oil if necessary, and brown again.  When the flour is no longer visibly white, add your tomato paste, red wine, stock, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.  Make sure to scrape the browned flour off the pan so that it incorporates into your gravy.

Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pan, and let your stew cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  (You can also do this in an oven preheated to 325.)  Don’t check it too often, otherwise the steam will escape and your temp will go down.

Take the cover off the pan, stir, and adjust seasonings to taste.  Fish out your bay leaf.  Simmer 10-15 min with the top off to allow the gravy to thicken.

Serve hot over mashed potatoes, or with crusty French bread– and don’t forget a nice glass of that red wine!