Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:

4 cups homemade or store bought chicken stock

3 tablespoons tomato paste

31 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast cubed

Salt and black pepper to taste

10 ounces mushrooms quartered

4 medium carrots cut into bite sized pieces

1 large yellow onion

2 small celery ribs copped

3 medium cloves of garlic 2 tablespoons flour

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs thyme

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed

4 ounces frozen or fresh peas

Directions:

Combine stock/broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.  Set aside.

In large pot or a dutch oven; Season beef all over with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until beef is well browned on 2 sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer beef to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and set aside.

Add mushrooms to Dutch oven or pot and cook, stirring, until liquid is released and mushrooms begin to brown, about 6 minutes, lowering heat as necessary to prevent scorching. Add diced carrots, onions and cook, stirring, until well-browned on all sides. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. Add celery, and garlic. Cook, turning carrots, celery, and garlic occasionally until all the vegetables are well-browned, about 4 minutes.

Scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon, and cook until reduced by 3/4, about 3 minutes. Add broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

Add seared steaks to a large bowl. Toss with flour. Add beef and any juices accumulated in the tray or plate to the Dutch oven along with bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine and return to a simmer over medium heat. Transfer to oven, cover with lid partially open, and cook until beef is starting to become tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Liquid should hold a slow, steady simmer the entire time. Adjust oven temperature if necessary during cooking.

Remove stew from oven. Using tongs, fish out and discard bay leaves.  Add potatoes and reserved sautéed mushrooms, to stew, return to oven, and continue to cook, partially covered, until beef, potatoes, and carrots are tender and broth has thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove stew from oven. If necessary, place over a burner and simmer for up to 15 minutes to reduce to desired consistency. Stir in peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days and reheat to serve.

Great with Fresh Baked Bread or biscuits.