3lbswhole boneless beef chuck roastcut into 3 steaks
kosher salt & pepper
2Tbsvegetable oil
2Tbsflour
Sauce
2cupschicken stock
4packets unflavored gelatin3 Tbs + 1 tsp
1carrot
½yellow onion
4clovesgarlicsmashed
¼cupbrandyoptional
1bottle dry red wine
2teaspoonfish sauce or 1 anchovy filet
1Tbssoy sauce
4sprigs thyme
3sprigs parsley
2bay leaves
Vegetables
¼lbbacon
1lbcremini mushrooms
5large carrots
1lbpearl onions
Parsley for ganish
Instructions
Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Pour broth into a medium bowl and sprinkle 1 packet of gelatin over the top. Once dissolved, sprinkle the next packet, and so on.
Dry beef steaks and season with salt & pepper.
Split 1 carrot in half. Peel onion, clean the root ends, then cut in half through the root end.
Pull the thyme leaves off the stem and chop the parsley.
Cook the steak
Heat the oil in a dutch oven on the stove top, over medium high. Once hot, cook steaks to brown on both sides (cook 1 at a time depending on size of your dutch oven), about 5 minutes a side. Make sure the browned bits that develop don't burn - turn down the heat if needed, to prevent burning.
Remove steak and set aside to cool.
Make the sauce
Add split carrot halves and split yellow onion to the dutch oven. Turn occasionally, browning it, about 4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add brandy, if using, and cook for 2 minutes to boil off alcohol.
Add the stock-gelatin mixture, wine, fish sauce, soy sauce, and herbs* to the dutch oven. Bring to a simmer.
Cut beef into 2-inch pieces and toss with 2 Tbs of flour. Add beef and juices to dutch oven.
Transfer to oven and partially cover it. (Move on to the next section, making the vegetables).
Cook for about 1.5 hours and check on beef tenderness. When it's almost done, you'll add the prepped veggies from the next section.
Make Vegetables
Prep: chop mushrooms and carrots into bit sized pieces. Leave the onions whole (cut off root end).
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat, until fat is rendered, about 6-8 minutes. Remove bacon, but leave the fat.
Add mushrooms to the fat and cook until browned, about 12 minutes. If pan dries out, add some oil.
Add diced carrots and onions, then cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. They don't need to be soft, just browned.
Combine and Finish
About 30 minutes before the stew is done (use your crystal ball!), add the prepped veggies to finish cooking and soak up some flavor. Cook for about 30 minutes longer.
Notes
* Buy frozen pearl onions to skip peeling them all. * This dish can get salty, so use low sodium broth and only add extra salt towards the end, after you can taste the sauce.