Beef Stew With Red Wine And Vegetables

Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 slices bacon, thick slices, rind removed, cut crosswise into 1/2 pieces
• 1 onion, medium, yellow, and diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine, good enough quality for drinking, try a california cab
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 7 cups veal stock, can sub with beef stock (preferably home made, then high quality commercial)
• 1 piece bacon, rind 3-inch square (optional)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons beurre manie (equal parts softened unsalted butter and all purpose flour mixed together into a thick paste)
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 potatoes, large, waxy, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 10 ounces mushrooms, fresh
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
• 4 ounces green beans, ends trimmed

Recipe

• 1 place bacon in a large, heavy, flameproof dutch oven and saute over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. add onion and garlic; if there isn't enough fat rendered from the bacon, add a tbsp of oil as well. saute' onion and garlic until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 2 meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. add only enough beef cubes to fit the skillet without crowding, and brown well on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. as the beef browns, transfer it to the dutch oven with bacon, onion, and garlic. brown remaining beef in batches, adding oil as needed; don't let bottom of the skillet burn.
• 3 when all the beef is browned and removed from skillet, add 1 cup of wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. pour the contents of the skillet into the casserole with the beef, along with the brandy and 2 cups of the wine. increase the heat to high and reduce liquid by 2/3, 15 to 20 minutes.
• 4 add the veal stock, bacon rind, bay leaves, and thyme, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. cook the beef very gently, partially covered, for 1.5 hours. if the liquid doesn't appear to be thickening, whisk in some beurre manie.
• 5 add the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. continue simmering until the meat and veggies are tender, 30 minutes more.
• 6 add the cauliflower and green beans, and cook til crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. add the remaining wine and cook for 30 seconds more.
• 7 remove dutch oven from heat, discard bay leaves and bacon rind. adjust salt and pepper and serve.