1Trim off any fat or gristle from a 3 lb boneless chuck roast and cut the meat into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks.
2Toss the cut meat in 1/4 cup of flour seasoned with 2 teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of pepper.
3Grab a Dutch oven or large pot with a heavy bottom, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and heat it over medium until the oil is shimmering.
4Working in batches, shake off any excess flour on the cubes of beef and add them to the pot in a single layer.
5Cook the beef, flipping the pieces occasionally, until they are browned all over, about 4 to 5 minutes.
6Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set it aside.
7Add one diced onion to the pot, season it with salt and pepper, and cook it until it has softened and the pieces are just starting to turn brown, about 5 minutes.
8Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook until the raw tomato flavor has mellowed, about 2 minutes more.
9Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook for about 1 minute to get out the raw flour taste; this flour will help thicken the liquid into a sauce.
10Add 1 cup of red wine (or stock) to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the flavorful bits with your spoon as it begins to boil.
11Cook the wine until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.
12Return the meat to the pot with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.
13Add 4 cups of beef broth and tuck two bay leaves and four thyme sprigs into the liquid.
14Crank the heat up to high to get the liquid boiling, then turn it down to low and let it simmer uncovered for about an hour to reduce and concentrate flavors.
15When the hour is up, cut three carrots, three celery stocks, and four Yukon potatoes into large dice and add them to the pot.
16Put a lid on and let the stew simmer for another hour.
17Just before serving, stir in 1 cup of frozen peas and cook them until they are warmed through.
18Don't forget to take out the bay leaves and thyme stems before serving.
Ingredients
3 lb boneless chuck roast
0.25 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 diced onion
salt and pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp flour
1 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
3 carrots
3 celery stocks
4 Yukon potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
Equipment
Dutch ovenlarge pot with a heavy bottomplate
Tips
Build flavors as you go.
Do not crowd the beef in the pot or it will steam instead of brown.
Deglaze the pot with liquid to lift flavor off the bottom.
Simmer uncovered for one hour to reduce and concentrate flavors.
Simmer covered for the second hour to keep the stew from drying out and tenderize the chuck roast.