Recipe Background
When you look at your calendar and see it's going to be a busy week, well then you must prep ahead so you won't be hungry come dinnertime! However, you will need to pencil in a nice chunk of time to prep this Make-Ahead French Beef Stew, but your future-self will thank you for it once you're chowing down on the tender beef, juicy carrots, earthy mushrooms, and tangy pearl onions. Ahh, planning ahead is always the best, especially when the result is getting to enjoy Make-Ahead French Beef Stew!
When you look at your calendar and see it's going to be a busy week, well then you must prep ahead so you won't be hungry come dinnertime! However, you will need to pencil in a nice chunk of time to prep this Make-Ahead French Beef Stew, but your future-self will thank you for it once you're chowing down on the tender beef, juicy carrots, earthy mushrooms, and tangy pearl onions. Ahh, planning ahead is always the best, especially when the result is getting to enjoy Make-Ahead French Beef Stew!
Ingredients
- 1 (3-pound) beef chuck cut into 2-inch-thick chunks and patted dry
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup Cognac such as Courvoisier® VS Cognac
- 4 large carrots 2 coarsely chopped and 3 cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, divided
- 1 large yellow onion cut into chunks
- 4 large cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 (750-milliliter) bottle full-bodied red wine such as cabernet sauvignon
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 10 ounces pearl onions
- 1 (8-ounce) carton white mushrooms halved
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- thyme sprigs to taste, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Evenly season the beef pieces with the salt and the pepper.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Add the seasoned beef pieces, in batches, to the heated oil and cook until they are browned on all sides.
- Transfer the browned beef pieces to a large bowl.
- In the same Dutch oven, add the Cognac and use a wooden spoon to loosen any of the browned bits from the bottom.
- Cook the Cognac until it is reduced by half, then pour it over the browned beef pieces in the bowl.
- In the same Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Add 2 of the chopped carrots, the yellow onions, and the garlic to the heated oil and sauté, about 3 minutes.
- Add the beef pieces-Cognac mixture and any accumulated juices, the red wine, the beef stock, the tomato paste, and the dried thyme to the veggie mixture and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook the stew, about 2 minutes.
- Place the lid on the Dutch oven and transfer it to the oven.
- Bake the stew until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes-3 hours.
- About 30 minutes before the stew is finished cooking, in a large pot of boiling water, add the remaining sliced carrots and blanch until they are tender, about 2-3 minutes. Immediately drain the water.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil.
- Add the pearl onions and the mushrooms to the heated oil and sauté until they are light golden-brown.
- Transfer the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully strain the juices from the stew into a saucepan.
- Separate the beef pieces from the cooked veggies and save the veggies for another use.
- Bring the stew juices to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and has thickened into a sauce. Skim the fat from the surface.
- Add the brown sugar to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Taste the sauce and season with the salt and the pepper, as needed. Stir to combine.
- Add the cooked beef pieces, the blanched carrot slices, and the sautéed pearl onion-mushroom mixture to the sauce and simmer until the ingredients are heated through, about 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately in warmed bowls garnished with the thyme sprigs. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately, then reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop, about 10 minutes.
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