Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds beef-stew meat cut into 2 inch cubes
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 8 ounces pearl onions, peeled
• 2 1/4 cups beef stock
• 1 cup canned whole plum tomatoes, strained, seeded and crushed
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 12 ounces small white button mushrooms, quartered if large

Directions

Pat the cubed meat dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Toss meat in flour.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil. Add meat in single layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove meat from pot, and transfer to a bowl. Add 1/3 cup wine and stir with wooden spoon, scraping loose any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer cooking liquid to bowl with meat. Wipe pot clean.
Add remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions, and cook stirring occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 minutes.
Deglaze pan with remaining wine, adn return reserved beef and cooking liquid to pot. Add stock and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduceheat to low, cover and cook for 1 1/3 hours. Add carrots and mushrooms, and cook, covered until meat and vegetables are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Martha Stewart Oct 2001
Submitted By: Dian McCarthy
djamcc01@mediaone.net
Beef Stew