*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                            My Best Beef Stew

Recipe By     : Julia Child
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Beef                             Stews

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        ----------DAY 1----------
   4      lb            Chuck steak (pot roast) -- 2-3" thick
   1      tb            Salt
   1      ts            Pepper -- crushed
   2                    Fresh thyme sprigs
   3      c             Onions -- thinly sliced
   1 1/2  c             Carrot -- thinly sliced
   3      cl            Garlic -- peeled and crushed
     1/4  c             Olive oil or vegetable oil
   3      tb            Red wine vinegar
                        ----------DAY 2----------
   1      tb            Olive oil -- for browning meat
   4                    Italian plum tomatoes -- chopped
   2                    Bay leaf -- imported
     1/4  c             Water
   1      c             Beef stock
                        Chianti or Zinfandel -- to cover
                        ----------DAY 4----------slurry----------
   1      tb            All-purpose flour
   1 1/2  tb            Beef stock -- cold

Day 1:

Remove surrounding fat from meat and cut into pieces according to its
natural muscle separations, trimming as you go, finally cut into
1-1/2" chunks.  Toss meat into an enameled or stainless casserole
with all DAY 1 items listed above.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:

Remove meat chunks from casserole.  Dry with paper towels.  Transfer
vegetables and marinade to a medium frying pan and cook over moderate
heat until onions are translucent.  Meanwhile set a large frying pan
over moderately high heat and add the oil.  Cook meat in batches
until browned being careful not to crowd meat.  Return meat to
casserole and strew the cooked vegetables and marinade on top along
with tomatoes and bay leaves.  Discard fat from pan in which meat was
browned, deglaze with water, add to casserole.  Add beef stock and
wine to almost submerge the ingredients.

Day 3:

Bring stew to a simmer on stove top.  Then, set it covered in a 300 F
oven so that it barely bubbles.  It will take about 2-1/2 hours to
become fork tender.  Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Day 4:

Remove from refrigerator and skim fat from the surface and discard. 
Reheat the stew and then strain hot cooking liquid into a nonreactive
sacuepan, pressing on the vegetables which will have disentegrated. 
Taste sauce for strength and seasoning.  Boil down quickly if it
seems weak; you should have 2-1/2 cups.  If the sauce seems too
liquid you will need to add a slurry or flour and beef stock dribbled
with hot sauce.  Once you have checked for seasing again, the stew is
ready to serve.  If you are not serving right away, cool the stew and
press pastic wrap on it and refrigerate.  Rewarm slowly before
serving.

You might finish the stew with two dozen small braised onions,
several large spoonfuls of sauteed mushrooms and two cups or so of
braised cut carrots, turnips, plus fresh peas and green beans,
simmering together briefly before serving.

Recipe by Julia Child.

Adapted for electronic use by Jonathan Shanes.

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