French Beef Stew (Print Version)

Slow-simmered stew with beef, wine, mushrooms, and hearty veggies.

# Ingredients:

→ Meat

01 - Roughly 3 pounds of beef chunks for stewing
02 - Half a pound of bacon or smoked pork

→ Vegetables

03 - A dozen small white onions
04 - 4 medium-sized carrots, maybe 5
05 - 1 pound of brown mushrooms
06 - A few garlic cloves (around 3)

→ Liquids & Seasonings

07 - 2 cups of dry red wine
08 - About 2 tablespoons of brandy
09 - 2 cups of rich beef stock
10 - A dollop of tomato puree (roughly 2 tbsp)
11 - 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
12 - 6 tablespoons of softened butter
13 - A few sprigs of fresh thyme (4 or so)
14 - 3 dried bay leaves

# Steps:

01 - Sprinkle the beef with salt, rest 2 hours, then heat oven to 325°F.
02 - Fry up the bacon slices until crispy, then scoop them out, leaving the grease.
03 - Sear the beef chunks, a few at a time, until they’re deep brown. Remove and set aside.
04 - Cook all the veggies and herbs in butter until onions look glossy.
05 - Toss in the meat, pour in liquids, and stir in tomato paste. Cover the pot and bake for about 90 minutes.
06 - Sauté mushrooms in a pan separately, then mix into the pot. Slow-cook for half an hour.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - Tastes even better a day later
02 - Brown the meat a little at a time
03 - Pick a wine you’d drink

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