Legendary chef Jacques Pépin's beef stew recipe with wine is a celebration of cozy French fare. You'll need a full bottle of dry red wine to make the delectable sauce.
Ingreadients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds trimmed beef flatiron steak or chuck, cut into 8 pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 (5-ounce) piece of pancetta
- 2 1/4 cups water, divided
- 15 pearl or small cipollini onions, peeled
- 15 cremini mushrooms
- 15 baby carrots, peeled
- Sugar
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Direction
- Gather the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the meat in the casserole in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir to coat the meat with it.
- Add the wine, bay leaves, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Cook the stew for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is flavorful.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cover the pancetta with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Drain the pancetta and slice it 1/2-inch thick, then cut the slices into 1-inch-wide lardons.
- In a large skillet, combine the pancetta, pearl onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water, and a large pinch each of sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until almost all of the water has evaporated, 15 minutes. Uncover and cook over high heat, tossing, until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
- To serve, stir some of the vegetables and lardons into the stew and scatter the rest on top as a garnish. Top with a little chopped parsley.