RECIPE: Beef Stew v.238

I'm not sure I've ever made beef stew the same way twice (thus the version 238 - which is an exaggeration of course). It tends to vary greatly depending on what I have on hand and what kind of stew I'm in the mood for. This recipe runs closer to a bouef bourguignon than a traditional American beef stew. The only thing that remains the same with my stew is the vessel I cook it in (cast iron Dutch oven). But there are a few common stew commandments that should be followed strictly regardless of recipe to ensure the most flavor. The first is browning your beef really well. Stew is all about building flavor and a lot of that flavor comes from caramelization, so get your beef as brown as possible without burning it. The second commandment is to use very flavorful liquid. High quality beef stock and red wine are my preferences. Beef broth is not going to give as much depth, and for the love of God, don't even think about using water. Seriously. I will hunt you down and smack your knuckles with a wooden spoon. And finally, a really flavorful, satisfying stew can't be rushed. Despite whatever Rachel Ray might tell you, good stew is not a 30 minute meal. This is a weekend meal, plain and simple.

INGREDIENTS:
2 slices, thick cut bacon, diced
1 lb. stew meat cut into 2 inch by 2 inch chunks, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6-8 button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 T. herbs de Provence
1 T. flour
1 c. red wine
2 c. beef stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove cooked bacon. Brown the beef on all sides in the bacon grease. Remove beef to a plate.
There should be some bacon grease and beef drippings left. To this, add onion, carrot and mushrooms with a little salt and pepper and sauté until onions are cooked and veggies have some color.
Sprinkle veggies with flour and cook for a minute or two.
Add garlic and herbs and cook for an additional minute.
Turn heat up until pan is very hot and add wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrap up all of the brown bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan.
Lower heat back to medium low and add beef (and any juices), bacon, beef stock and bay leaf.
Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally until liquid has reduced and thickened slightly. Remove the cover for the last hour. Check seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serve over buttered egg noodles, potatoes, or drop biscuits. For this version, I prefer noodles. I also would suggest garnishing with a little chopped parsley, not really for the taste, but more because this is a very brown dish and the parsley adds a little color.