Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce

★★★☆☆
Serves: 6 Origin: Restaurant

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter15 ml unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided30 ml olive oil, divided
  • 2 pounds trimmed beef flatiron steak or chuck, cut into 8 pieces910 g trimmed beef flatiron steak or chuck, cut into 8 pieces
  • Kosher saltKosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepperFreshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion240 ml finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic15 ml finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour15 ml all-purpose flour
  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry red wine1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry red wine
  • 2 bay leaves2 bay leaves
  • 1 thyme sprig1 thyme sprig
  • 1 (5-ounce) piece of pancetta1 (5-ounce) piece of pancetta
  • 2 1/4 cups water, divided540 ml water, divided
  • 15 pearl or small cipollini onions, peeled15 pearl or small cipollini onions, peeled
  • 15 cremini mushrooms15 cremini mushrooms
  • 15 baby carrots, peeled15 baby carrots, peeled
  • SugarSugar
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnishChopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Stew
  2. Gather the ingredients.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the meat in the casserole in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 minutes.
  4. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes.
  5. Add the flour and stir to coat the meat with it.
  6. Add the wine, bay leaves, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Cook the stew for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is flavorful.
  7. Garnish
  8. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cover the pancetta with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  9. Drain the pancetta and slice it 1/2-inch thick, then cut the slices into 1-inch-wide lardons.
  10. In a large skillet, combine the pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water, and a large pinch each of sugar, salt, and pepper.
  11. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until almost all of the water has evaporated, 15 minutes. Uncover and cook over high heat, tossing, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
  12. To Serve
  13. To serve, stir some of the vegetables and lardons into the stew and scatter the rest on top as a garnish. Top with a little chopped parsley.
Suggested pairing: Robust, dark-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon. Originally appeared April 2007.
Wine Pairing: Medium Red — Burgundian Pinot Noir — elegant and food-friendly for a French main.
Source: Jacques Pépin, Food & Wine
wine-unreviewed