It's going to start getting hot here in Texas soon, so I won't be in the mood for this for much longer. But for now - it's on.

Ingredients and Mise en Place
4 Cups Beef Stock
   If you don't have the real stuff you made yourself (and I often don't), make it with 4 tsp of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base in 4 cups of boiling water. The boxed stuff is generally horrible.
4 pkt Gelatin, Powdered, Unflavored
   Bloomed in 1 cup of room temp water for ~10m. Knox is available everywhere. Omit this if you're using real beef stock you made yourself.
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Anchovies
   Chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 lbs Beef Chuck
   Cut into steaks
8 oz White Button Mushroom
   Quartered
4-5 Carrots
   Peeled. 2 left whole, 2-3 cut into bite-sized pieces - enough for ~2 cups
8-12 oz Pearl Onions
   Not shown here, but strongly recommended. Get a bag of the peeled and frozen ones.
1 Yellow Onion
   Unpeeled, cut in half, root to stem
2 stalks Celery
   Cut in half
3 cloves Garlic
   Unpeeled
3/4 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon
   Or whatever wine you think tastes nice
2 Tbsp AP Flour
2 Bay Leaves
   Fresh
4 sprigs Thyme
1 lb Baby Yellow Potatoes
   Unpeeled, Split in half. Yukon Golds or any regular yellow potato are nice too - just cut them smaller.



(Wine and Worcestershire sauce not shown...oops...but you get the idea)



Heat and Magic
1.) Combine stock, bloomed gelatin (if using...see notes), tomato paste, soy sauce, anchovies and Worcestershire in a blender. Set aside.
2.) Sear chuck steaks, set aside.
3.) Saute mushrooms until just beginning to brown.
4.) Add diced carrots and pearl onions. Cook until browned. Reserve elsewhere.
5.) Add onion, cut-side down. Add whole carrots, celery and garlic. Saute, turning everything but the onion occasionally, until the veggies are all browned.
6.) Add wine and deglaze, scaping up the fond. Cook until reduced by half.
7.) Add broth mixture from the blender reserved earlier, bring it to a gentle simmer, and hold it there. Meanwhile, cut the chuck steaks into bite-sized cubes, and toss them in the flour.
8.) Pour the resting juices in, along with the cubed beef, thyme and bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer.
9.) Place in a 275F oven, lid cracked, for 1.5h.
10.) Remove the stew from the oven, and fish out the carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaves, and onion.
11.) Add the potatoes and the reserved mushroom, pearl onion and carrot. Bring it back to a simmer, and return it to the oven for 1hr, lid cracked.
12.) Reduce more uncovered (if desired), and serve.



Pics

1.) Combine stock, bloomed gelatin (if using...see notes), tomato paste, soy sauce, anchovies and Worcestershire in a blender. Set aside.


Blend the shit out of it.



2.) Sear chuck steaks, set aside.

This is my go-to method, in olive oil, instead of cubing them and searing them individually. It's much easier, and the crust on two sides is more than enough, prior to cubing. Do them one at a time, to get a nice crust. It'll take a few minutes. each.



3.) Saute  mushrooms until just beginning to brown.

Use enough olive oil and butter to make it happen, over an appropriate amount of heat.



4.) Add diced carrots and pearl onions. Cook until browned. Reserve elsewhere.

I didn't have any pearl onions, so they're not shown here. But they're delicious - use them.



5.) Add onion, cut-side down. Add whole carrots, celery and garlic. Saute, turning everything but the onion occasionally, until the veggies are all browned.

The amount of color is up to you. This is what I did.



6.) Add wine and deglaze, scaping up the fond. Cook until reduced by half.

When your mom's disciplinary tool drags across the wine reduction and looks like this, you're done.



7.) Add broth mixture from the blender reserved earlier, bring it to a gentle simmer, and hold it there. Meanwhile, cut the chuck steaks into bite-sized cubes, and toss them in the flour.

You can obviously cut these as big or small as you like. This is how I prefer it.


Coating these in flour isn't strictly necessary, but it does help thicken the sauce/gravy later. It's up to you. I like them this way.


8.) Pour the resting juices in, along with the cubed beef, thyme and bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer.

You worked hard for this! Don't let it go to waste!


Every stew recipe calls for two bay leaves. It's the law.


9.) Place in a 275F oven, lid cracked, for 1.5h.

And now we wait. Patiently.


10.) Remove the stew from the oven, and fish out the carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaves, and onion.

You've served us well, chaps. You've given us all you have, and it's time to part ways. Godspeed.



11.) Add the potatoes and the reserved mushroom, pearl onion and carrot. Bring it back to a simmer, and return it to the oven for 1hr, lid cracked.

Pearl onions aren't in here, but they should be in yours!


Simmered goodness


And now we wait again. Patiently.




12.) Reduce more uncovered (if desired), and serve.

Thank you!

You totally could, man! And you're welcome!