Chase away the winter blues with this warm and comforting dish. Ina Garten’s recipe for Parker’s Beef Stew is the perfect antidote to the blustery cold days of winter. Once all of the ingredients are seared in the pot, simply throw it in the oven and in a few hours, you’ll have a delicious and hearty meal. Inexpensive cuts of meat taste unbelievably rich after they’ve been cooked into beef stew. It’s affordable, healthy and delicious… plus you’ll have enough left over for lunch the next day. Now that’s my kind of meal.

A chopped up chuck roast is accompanied by tender carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions and bright green peas. I add the peas right before serving, so they keep their bright color. I’ve never made a recipe from Ina Garten that I didn’t like and rumor has it this is one of the Barefoot Contessas favorites. I have to say it’s pretty fabulous. Cozy up this winter with a big bowl of stew, and don’t forget the garlic bread.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

2. The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

3. Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you’ll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

4. Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

5. Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.

2006, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved