On the Menu this Evening~ Take the chill off with this luscious beefstew.

The wind is howling outside and the temperature is zero...literally, and nothing is as comforting on a frigid New England evening in winter, than a wonderfully flavorful stew and a crusty roll with real butter Delish! Not only does it warm you through and satisfy you hunger it makes the house smell divine.

I removed the stew meat from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. In the meantime cut some slab bacon into a small dice (lardon) and prep the veggies. I used carrots, onion, celery and garlic. Chop them into a small dice keeping them as even as possible so they cook evenly. In a zipped gallon baggie place flour (I like whole wheat) and season it with salt,pepper, garlic powder, dried herbs (I love tarragon, thyme, marjoram)

Place a large pot on the stove with some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and place over medium heat. Place the diced bacon in and cook until crispy. remove and place on a papertowel save them until later. Add the stew meat, in small batches, into the bag of seasoned flour and shake till coated. Shake off extra flour and place in hot pan. Do not crowd the pan. This will be repeated in several batches until all the meat it browned on all sides. Set aside on a plate while you move on the the next layer.

In the same pan add a bit more olive oil and put the diced onions in,reduce heat to low and let the onions hang out in the pan on low,until the onions begin to caramelize. This will take several minutes. Add the rest of the diced veggies to the pan and cook till they begin to soften. Tomato paste in a tube is perfect for this next step because you only need a few tablespoons. Mix it into the veggies and cook for a few minutes. Add a cup and a half of red wine and a bay leaf and stir, cooking for a few minutes.

Return the browned beef to the pot, add the bacon and two cartons of good beef stock or homemade if you have it. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low. Let simmer on low until meat tenders. Taste for seasonings add salt, pepper, and more herbs to taste. I put in oregano, thyme, and a pinch of basil. Add some large chunky veggies carrots, baby potatoes onions and cook until softened and fork tender. Right before serving add green beans taste again, adjust seasoning if stew liquid is too thin I incorporate flour with softened butter and add it to stew until it thickens to your liking and voila!