Hello Julia.

I recently missed out on a good friend's birthday, and had been promising to make him dinner for awhile now, so I figured tonight was as good as any other night to make it happen.

What's for dinner: beef bourguignon.

Ingredients

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 pound stew chuck beef

- Salt

- Freshly ground black pepper

- 1/2 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks

- 1 yellow onion, diced

- 2 cloves minced garlic

- 1/2 bottle Pinot Noir

- 1 cup beef broth

- 1 tablespoon tomato paste

- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided

- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 2 cups sliced mushrooms

Steps

Pre-heat oven to 250F.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven on high heat.

In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are brown on all sides.

When done, remove the beef from the heat and put aside.

Cook the carrots and onions in the fat in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.

Add the tomato paste and thyme.

Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Mix 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour with a fork and stir into the stew.

Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes.

Season the stew to taste.

Voila! Eat while hot.