Classic Beef Stew

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 4  pounds  bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/3  cup  olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 2  large onions, diced (2 cups)
• 1  6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1  cup  dry red wine
• 1  pound  potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1/2  pound  baby carrots (about 2 cups)
• 2  cups  beef broth
• 1  tablespoon  kosher salt
• 1  teaspoon  dried thyme leaves
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup  frozen peas, thawed

Preparation

Coat the beef in the flour. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer to a heavy casserole or a heavy, covered saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and coat the onions; transfer to the casserole. Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits; add to the casserole. Stir in the broth, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook in the casserole in a 325° F oven for 4 hours, or in the saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. In either case, stir occasionally and add up to 1 cup of additional beef broth if necessary. Add the potatoes and carrots during the last hour of cooking, and the peas just before serving.

To Freeze: Omit the peas. Let the stew cool, then ladle it into resealable freezer bags. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw the stew overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Warm in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, adding the peas during the last 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

520 (0% from fat)

Fat:

20g (sat 5g)

Protein:

48mg

Carbohydrate:

31g

Fiber:

4g

Cholesterol:

127mg

Iron:

6mg

Sodium:

1061mg

Calcium:

54mg