OLD FASHIONED BEEF STEW

Ingredients

2 pounds (1 kg) of stewing beef

A sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly grated pepper

A splash of any vegetable oil

A few carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

A few stalks celery, roughly chopped

A few potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

A few parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

A few onions, peeled and roughly chopped

A 28 ounce (796 mL) can of whole tomatoes

1/2 bottle or so of hearty red wine

3 or 4 cups (750 mL to 1 L) of homemade or canned beef broth

A few bay leaves

A few sprigs fresh rosemary

1 jar of pickled baby white onions, drained

A few handfuls of frozen peas

Another sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

How to make it:

Preheat a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, pat the beef dry with a clean towel and then cut it into large cubes and season it with the salt and pepper.

Add a splash of oil to the potenough to cover the bottom in a thin layerand toss in enough meat to form a single sizzling layer. Sear the meat on every side until it’s evenly browned.

Be patient when you’re browning the meat; it takes a little time but it’s worth every minute. The caramelized flavours are the secret to a rich hearty stew. As the meat browns, remove it from the pan, adding more oil and meat as needed.

Once the meat is done, discard the remaining oil but keep all the browned bits in the pan; they’ll add lots of flavour to the stew.

Add half of the vegetablesreserving the other halfand all the meat back to the pot. Add the tomatoes and enough wine and beef broth to barely cover the works. Add the bay leaves and rosemary and bring the pot to a simmer.

Continue cooking until the meat is almost tender, about 1 hour, then add the remaining vegetables, the baby onions and the frozen peas. Adding the vegetables in 2 batches allows the first batch to dissolve into the stew while the second retains its shape, colour and texture. Continue simmering until the meat and veggies are tender, another 30 minutes or so. When the stew is tender, taste it and season as you like with salt and pepper.