Rustic Beef Stew

Directions

1. Place a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot on the stove over medium-high heat and heat about 2 Tbsps. of olive oil.

2. Sear all the beef cubes until browned on all sides. Remove browned beef cubes and set aside. You may have to do this in batches to avoid over-crowding your Dutch oven or stock pot. Once all the beef is browned, do not remove the brown bits from your Dutch oven or stock pot.

3. Add 1 Tbsp. olive along with the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add 1 tsp. each of thyme and marjoram and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven or stock pot from the heat.

5. Add 1 Tbsp. of butter and melt completely. Add the flour slowly while stirring. Add the beef broth and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated and starts to thicken.

6. Add the browned beef, potatoes, onion, garlic and carrots. Add more broth if the stew seems too thick.

7. Simmer for 5-7 minutes and add the bay leaves, salt and pepper.

8. Cover and cook for 60-90 minutes or until the beef is nice and tender. Check every 20 minutes and add more broth if stew is getting too thick.

9. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves and garnish each serving with the remaining herbs. Serve with rustic bread, your favorite butter and enjoy!