Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1" pieces
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 T. olive oil
• 3 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 " pieces
• 2 onions, peeled, cut into quarters
• 2 cloves c (stick them into onion quarters)
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
• 2 sprigs each of thyme, savory, and parsely
• 1 bay leaf
• a few peppercorns
• 1 3/4 cup of red wine
• 3 diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1 small head of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 thin strip of orange zest
• 2 cups beef stock (or chicken broth)

Directions

1. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, a day ahead if possible.

2. Heat, in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat the oil and add the bacon. Cook until rendered and lightly brown but not crisp. Remove bacon and add the meat, browning well on all sides, in as many batches as necessary.

3. Put the browned meat into a heavy pot or braising dish. Pour off most of the fat, lower the heat, and add the onions, cloves, carrots, thyme, savory, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns. Cook until slightly browned and add to the beef int the pot.

4. Return the pot to the stove and raise the heat. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by two thirds, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. pour this over the beef and vegetables.

5. Add tomatoes, garlic, zest, and stock or broth. Check the level of the liquid; it should be at least 3/4 of the way up the cubes of beef. Add more if needed.

6. Cover the pot tightly and book at a bare simmer on the stovetop, or in a 325 F oven, for 2 to 3 hours. Check stew occasionally to be sure that it is not boiling and that there is enough liquid.

7. Turn off when meat is tender and allow to sit for a few minutes. Skim off fat and discard bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns. Adjust salt.

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