Parker's Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
• 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
• 1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Instructions

1. Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigeratorand marinate overnight.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
3. Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of themarinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade.In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess.Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch ovenand continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is verylean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.
4. Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms,and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add thegarlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over thebeef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat todeglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Addthe chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt,and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven andbring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in theoven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirringonce during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or275 degrees F.
5. Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.