Oh, the house smelled fabulous as this simmered away in the oven. Served on a bed of buttery mashed potatoes, this was an amazing meal. I wouldn’t hesitate serving this for a dinner party…the depth of flavor is incredible.
Chuck roast is the best cut for beef stew. If you want to get rid of a lot of the fat, refrigerate the cooked stew overnight and the solidified fats will be easy to remove. The resting time will actually help the favors meld and the stew taste even better. We couldn’t wait, though, and dove right in!
Beef Stew with Red Wine and Carrots…adapted from Molly Stevens
3 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8-10 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons Cognac
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 to 3 tsp.)
2 sprigs of thyme (if your sprigs are just single strands add about 8)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8-10 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons Cognac
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 to 3 tsp.)
2 sprigs of thyme (if your sprigs are just single strands add about 8)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups hearty red wine
1 14 1/2-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
4 strips orange zest (2 1/2 inches long, removed with a vegetable peeler)
1-2 pounds slender carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional
2 cups hearty red wine
1 14 1/2-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
4 strips orange zest (2 1/2 inches long, removed with a vegetable peeler)
1-2 pounds slender carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional
Preheat the oven to 325°.
Heat the oil and bacon together in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the bacon is browned but not crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Season about one third of the beef with salt and pepper, and brown in a single layer in the pot. Cook till all sides are brown. Transfer the beef to the bacon plate, and season and brown the remaining beef in 2 more batches.
When all the beef chunks are browned, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of drippings. If your pan is dry, just add an other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallots, season with a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, and sauté until they just begin to soften. Add the brandy and let it boil away. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs, stirring to incorporate, and sauté for another 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and juice and using a spatula cut the tomatoes into pieces. Add the orange zest, and return the beef, bacon and juices to the pot. Finally, add the carrots, bring to a simmer, cover, and place into the oven.
Cook the stew, stirring every 45 minutes, until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, skim off any surface fat, taste for salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley if using.
Serves 6.
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
I am posting a beef stew at the end of the week and I used red wine as well (b/c I finally pulled Dorie’s book down and was inspired by her beef daube). Your recipe sounds wonderful!
Ohhh i’ll come for the dinner party!
buonissimo!
vale
It sounds delicious and perfect for cold evenings.
Oh my gosh Liz, this looks so good. Maybe I’ll make this for the bf for V-day. He would love me forever
YUMMY YUMMY
Aarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
Lizzy-This stew sounds great. I’ll try it soon, when the weather turns sour again.
I can just picture this meal ready to be eaten , sounds so lovely!
Red wine and cognac!This looks like a sophisticated and hearty stew.
I love a good stew. This sounds great Lizzy!
Looks delicious! I love stew and yours is just great!
That dish looks great! Just perfect for those chilly evenings.
My husband is the carnivoir here, and would love this one! sounds delish! especially to sop up your bread with!
First of all I’m really bummed that your posts aren’t being delivered to me by email anymore. I’ve resigned up a couple of times but still nothing comes. I’m sorry I’ve missed some of your posts.
However I’m glad to see this one. I love soups and stews and this one sounds great with the addition of bacon and cognac. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Minus the beef, add chicken but with all the same ingredients as per your recipe, esp the cognac, I will love it with a bowl of white rice.
I have never done soup with cognac and wine together but sure the outcome as per your pics is worth the try.
I just love a great stew. This looks delicious!
I do like the ingredients in this dish-yum! Also, you have included some very helpful tips in the second paragraph-good to learn a bit and also find a delicious recipe. Your pictures are so inviting-sure wished I had dined with you.
I cant wait to try this one. Its going to be great when it gets a bit colder. I love hearty recipes like this.
I think I need this right now. But it will wait for tonight. Yes. Will do this tonight.
hmmmm.that looks like comfort food……yummmm…..first time here……lovely blog!
My husband would gobble this up, literally! Looks delicious!
I love the idea of putting stew on a bed of mashed potatoes. That sounds like PURE COMFORT!!! If I close my eyes, I can almost smell that wonderful stew simmering!
I love this, too – and can smell it from Paris, Liz! Looks fabulous and great for this time of year. Great with the orange in there – my mother-in-law adds this to her French Daube. Ah, you couldn’t wait? You’ll just have to make another batch, just for our benefit of course, to taste it next day, too!
One of my favorites! I love winter cooking so much. I’ve never tried it with orange peel, though. I’ll do so next time!
Look delicious Lizzy!:))
Great tip for removing fat! I’ll have to give this one a try, looks fabulous.
Your beef stew sure looks so delicious and comforting, Lizzy! I’ll definitely come to your dinner party, i.e., if you’ll invite me. LOL.
I bet this smelled delicious! It looks fantastic. Don’t know how you do it Lizzy!
Oh, this is a MUST MAKE for the meat eaters in my life!
This looks like true comfort food. I haven’t had a good beef stew in a really long time!
I have a giveaway going on you might be interested in!
I’ll take a plate of that, please!
I crave for this kind of hearty, colorful, and delicious beef stew, and my family loves it. Thanks for sharing your delicious, and amazing beef stew recipe, Lizzy:DDD
xo
It is such perfect weather for comforting dishes like this! I love that you added some cognac to the mix, very interesting. I’ve been craving stew so should make this soon!
Great classic combination of flavors for a stew. I like that little touch of cognac too.
Oh I love beef stew and haven’t had any for a long time. This sounds so perfect, Liz!
Everything in this dish combine so well. I can imagine the fabulous smell steaming off your oven…
Oh that looks SO amazing. This is definitely one of those times that I am glad my family does not get to see how other folks cook & eat ! They are lucky to get “Dorie food” on French Fridays
Gorgeous stew….
Your stew looks wonderful! I love that red wine is included in the recipe, it definitely adds great flavor to the stew.
Have a great evening Lizzy
Mmmm…I love beef stew.
yum yum yum cooking master
My kids would consider this to be some serious comfort food! Beautiful looking stew
Lovely, homey stew – comfort food, for sure.
Love that you bacon in there.
As it’s finally becoming an actual winter here, a nice big bowl of beef stew would be perfect on a chilly night! This looks great Lizzy!