Step 1

Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Place half of the beef in the pan and brown, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes; add the remaining oil and brown the remaining beef. (To sear the meat properly, let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.

Step 2

Add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pot; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with the wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the orange juice, water, beef broth, bay leaf, rosemary, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and the sugar. Stir to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours.

Step 3

Add the carrots and apricots. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and prunes and cook for 30 minutes more, or until all the vegetables and meat are tender. Fish out the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the stew or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. The flavor of the stew improves if made at least 1 day ahead.) Reheat, covered, over medium heat until hot throughout. Garnish with the remaining fresh thyme leaves.

Step 4

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stew can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just omit the sweet potatoes because they don’t freeze well. If you’d like, boil some sweet potatoes separately when you defrost the stew and either add them into the stew prior to serving or serve them on the side. Defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you plan to serve it and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.