45 minutes prep + 1.5 hours cooking time | Serves 4-5
This is the kind of dish that makes the whole house smell like a Sunday you never want to end. Low and slow, a good Cabernet, and a Dutch oven doing most of the work. Make it on a Saturday, pour some Bloc Cab, and let it go. You'll be glad you did.
Best with: Cabernet Sauvignon
Why it works:
- Rich tannins complement braised beef
- Enhances depth of red wine sauce
- Balances fat with structure
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp good olive oil
- 8oz smoked bacon, diced
- 2.5 lbs chuck beef, cut into 1-inch cubes, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 lb carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, quartered and sliced
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 1/2 c Cognac
- 3 c Bloc Wine Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 c beef broth
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (added at the end)
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Season beef, then sear in batches until browned. Set aside with bacon.
- Cook carrots and onions in the same pot and season with 1 Tbsp salt and 2 tsp pepper until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add cognac and ignite with a match to burn off alcohol.
- Return beef and bacon to the pot. Add wine and beef broth with enough to cover the meat. Add a little of each if not enough.
- Add tomato paste and thyme.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook in oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.
- Combine 2 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp flour to create a thick mixture in a small cup. Stir into the stew to thicken.
- Sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp butter until browned, then add to the stew.
- Simmer on the stove for 15 minutes.
- Season to taste if needed.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, butter noodles, or eat alone with a crusty baguette.
Chef notes: A dish this good deserves a wine that can keep up. Save a glass of the Cab for the table.
