Old-Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe

Step 1

Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch cubes.

Step 2

Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.

Step 3

Peel and cut the carrots into bite-size chunks.

Step 4

Peel the potatoes and cut into slightly larger chunks, about 1 inch thick.

Step 5

Stack the bacon slices on top of each other, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices.

Step 6

Put the flour in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add the beef cubes to the bowl, and toss until covered in flour.

Step 7

Heat a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium heat, and add the bacon slices. Sauté until browned and crispy, about 7 minutes, then remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.

Step 8

Sauté the onion in the remaining bacon fat until softened, about 3 minutes.

Step 9

Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, then remove the onion and garlic from the pan.

Step 10

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add half of the beef cubes, and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat if bottom of pan starts to burn.

Step 11

Remove the beef, and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the second half of the beef cubes and brown.

Step 12

Remove the beef, and pour in a few ounces of the red wine. Deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a plastic spatula or wooden spoon as the wine bubbles, about 2 minutes.

Step 13

Put the onion, garlic, beef, and bacon back into the pan. Add the rest of the red wine and the beef stock. The beef should be almost entirely covered by liquid. Stir in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Step 14

Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium and cover partway with a lid. Simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Step 15

Add the carrots and potatoes, and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If too much liquid has evaporated by the time the beef, carrots, and potatoes are tender, add more beef stock or water.

Step 16

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.