Awesome Beef Stew recipe

Even though March is just around the corner, the layer of snow outside makes it abundantly clear it’s still Winter.  And what’s better on a cold winter night than a fabulous, hot beef stew?

I found this delicious recipe on the Martha Stewart site and made it one Sunday afternoon in my awesome Slow Cooker.  I have to admit, the first time I made this stew we ate the entire thing.  In one night.

It’s supposed to serve six people.

Beef Stew

• 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound medium onions (about 2), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 pound small white or red new potatoes (about 6), well scrubbed, halved if large
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven (5-quart) with a tight-fitting lid, combine beef, tomato paste, vinegar, and flour; season with salt and pepper.
2. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and, if desired, season with salt and pepper before serving.

Helpful Hint

Slow-Cooker Variation: Place beef in a 5-quart slow cooker.  Distribute tomato paste, vinegar, and flour over beef; season generously with salt and pepper.

Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover slow cooker; cook on high until beef is fork-tender, about 5 hours (or cook on low heat 8 hours).