Red Wine Beef Stew
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves crushed
2 pounds chuck roast trimmed and cut in cubes
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
8 carrots peeled and cut in pieces
2 medium onions roughly chopped
½ cup beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
several springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare the chuck roast by removing any excess fat and connective tissue from the roast. Cut the roast into bite-sized pieces.
In a heavy-bottomed pan such as a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over low heat.
Add the crushed garlic cloves and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and has begun to brown slightly. Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and set it aside.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the beef cubes to the pan. Generously season with salt and pepper.
Cook until the beef is brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the wine to the pan and bring it to a boil. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.
Add the garlic and beef back to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and bake for 2 ½ hours or until the beef is tender.
At the end of the cooking time, remove the herb stems and the bay leaf and give everything a good stir. The cooked garlic will dissipate into the stew.
Sprinkle a little fresh thyme on each serving for garnish if you like.
