Beef Stew

So, B has been requesting to have beef stew all week.  But since it's better the  longer you can cook the beef, I've managed to put her off until today.  We make a variation of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew as our favorite.  My mom prefers my sister's recipe, and did email me that (since my sister still hasn't!).   B specifically said she wanted her stew the same way as last time.  So, here we go. 

Beef Stew

• 2 pounds beef chuck shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups red wine (we like Burgundy)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 large onion, cut into large dice
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 large red potatoes, peeled and diced

Combine pepper and flour together in large Ziploc bag.  Put beef into bag and shake to combine.  Heat butter and olive oil together in large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Brown meat evenly on all sides, working in batches to avoid crowding the pan.  You want meat to carmelize, not steam.  Remove each batch before starting another.  After all meat is browned, add onions and cook just for a minute to start to soften.  Add beef broth and stir quickly, removing browned bits from bottom of pan.  Add wine and bring to boil.  Add beef back into pan.  Lower heat to simmer and add thyme, bay leaves, and garlic.  Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is tender.  Add potatoes and carrots during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sometimes we add frozen peas during the last few minutes.  Serve with crusty bread.