Hearty Beef Stew

Hurricane Sandy is hitting New York and there is only one thing I could think of to do - braise a hearty beef stew. Beef stew is warming and filling and is the perfect comfort food on a day like today. If you are also experiencing the effects of Hurricane Sandy - stay safe and dry!

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 lbs cubed beef chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lb carrots
1 lb baby white potatoes
1 lb celery
2 large yellow onions
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 large head of garlic
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
32 oz beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp Worcester sauce

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Begin to prep your veggies by cutting everything up into a large dice. First up the celery.

Next are the potatoes, cut these into quarters.

Then comes the carrots - I sliced these.

Chop the yellow onions.

And finally top with the mushrooms.

Mince the garlic and chop the rosemary.

Set all vegetables aside for the time being. Pat the meat dry with towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large dutch oven on high heat. Add in the cubes of beef and let cook until golden brown on the bottom.

Flip pieces and continue to cook until all sides are browned. Remove to a dish and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in the dutch oven. Add all your vegetables and the garlic. Saute on high heat 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Add beef stock, red wine, Worcester sauce and rosemary. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add the cooked meat back to the dutch oven. Stir until everything has been coated.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until meat is tender and can be broken with a fork. Remove from the oven and serve alongside/on top of rice or egg noodles. Serve & enjoy!