Wednesday night dinner challenge

Last night it was cold and rainy, so it seemed like a good night for a warming beef stew. This Zyliss garlic press is one of my favorite tools--easy to use and easy to clean. I love using these tiny potatoes in stew too, uncut and unpeeled.

Brown up the stew meat nice and brown, then set aside and toss in the onions and garlic.

Nothing smells better than onions cooking!

And here it is, ready to serve up with some hot bread! The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, which is the first place I always look for the best way to cook just about anything. I eliminated the peas, because I don't like peas! So nobody gets them.

Hearty Beef Stew

1/1996

Make this stew in a large, heavy-bottomed soup kettle measuring at least ten inches in diameter. If the kettle is any smaller, you may need to cook the meat in three batches rather than two.

Serves 6 to 8

3	pounds chuck-eye roast , cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2	teaspoons table salt
1	teaspoon ground black pepper
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium onions , chopped coarse (about 2 cups)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced
3	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1	cup red wine (preferably full-bodied)
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	bay leaves
1	teaspoon dried thyme
6	small boiling potatoes , peeled and halved
4	large carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1	cup frozen peas (6 ounces), thawed
1/4	cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place beef cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in large nonreactive soup kettle; add beef to kettle in two separate batches. Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding remaining tablespoon of oil if needed. Remove meat and set aside. Add onions to now empty kettle; sauté until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to sauté about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to kettle. Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme; bring to simmer. Add meat; return to simmer. Cover and place in oven; simmer about 1 hour.

2. Remove kettle from oven, add potatoes and carrots, cover, and return to oven. Simmer until meat is just tender, about 1 hour. Remove stew from oven. (Can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

3. Add peas and allow to stand 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings, and serve.