2 ½poundsbeef chuck roastcut into one and a half inch chunks.
2onionsdiced
3tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoontomato paste
2clovesgarlicpressed or finely minced
1tablespoonfresh thyme
1tablespoonfresh rosemarychopped
1-2bay leaves
1cupred winesuch as syrah or zinfandel
3cupsbeef stock
1/4cupflour
1yukon gold potatocut into 1 inch cubes
2carrotscut into 1/2 inch coins
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley for garnishoptional
For The Topping:
1cuppearl onionsor cipollini onions
2-3carrotscut into 1 inch pieces
8crimini mushroomsthickly sliced
2slicesof baconcut into 1 inch lardons
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions and season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Add tomato paste and garlic, cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until rust colored.
Add flour and stir, cooking for about 1 minute.
Whisk in broth slowly, then wine.
Add herbs and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, about 3 minutes.
Stir in beef and return to a simmer.
Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and using a spoon, scrape down the brown bits that have formed on the side of the pot. Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew, stir and rearange meat so that it is on top of the vegetables and sticking out of the sauce as much as possible (this way it will brown in the oven)
Return to oven and cook uncovered for another hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
While stew is cooking, prepare topping.
In a medium saute pan, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
Add bacon pieces, cover pan and turn heat on to medium high. Bring to a boil.
When water is boiling, remove lid and add pearl onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until water has evaporated.
Add mushtrooms and season with just a little salt (remember, bacon is already salty!). Reduce heat to medium low.
Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are nicely browned, 20-30 minutes. Depending on how much fat your bacon releases, you may need to add just a little olive oil to the pan to coat the vegetables.
When stew is done, remove from oven, stir and again scrape browned bits from the sides into the stew. Taste stew and season with salt and pepper if needed.
To serve, spoon stew into bowl and top with some vegetable topping and fresh parsley, if desired.
Serve with bread (optional, but strongly advised).
Notes
When preparing the beef, cut off any large pieces of fat. 1 and a half inch chuncks may seem like really large pieces, but that helps them to stick out of the broth and get browned.