No compromise beef stew

There are a thousand ways to cook up a beef stew, this one calls for plenty of red wine and a better cut of beef, without compromise! Instead of the usual stew grade of beef, we use either a rib roast or rib-eye cut to get a better tasting meat but retaining the added flavor of the fat.
Included is a party version for 25 guests where the ingredients measures and proportions can help you fine tune the seasonings for the small version.

The meat:

2 lbs / 1 kg of well marbled quality beef or a rib roast or rib-eye cut. The meat near the rib is the best for a tasty stew.

The prep:

Cut larger cubes as they retain their juices better, like 2 inches / 5 cm cubes. However bite-size cubes are more practical for the party version so that you can skip the knives.

Brown the meat in a heavy frying pan in very small batches (6-8 pieces) to keep the pan temperature high. Else the juices run out before the meat is seared.

Place all the seared meat into a large pot (cast-iron pot like Le Creuset works best), sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour and stir to coat evenly.

Add the following ingredients to the pot:

• 1/2 cup / 1.5 dl Sauce claire - Cubes from the store also called "Au Jus".
• 2 cups / 5 dl Red wine - Bordeaux or Sangiovese for a hardy stew, Pinot Noir for more aroma.
• Half an Onion - Small or large to your preference, Thais like shallots instead.
• 3/4 cup /300-400 g of carrots - Small ones are best.

Add seasoning (look at the party version for more accurate proportions):

• 1/2 tsp dry Rosemary 
• 1/2 tsp dry Oregano 
• 1/4 tsp dry Basil 
• 1/4 tsp dry Thyme 
• 1/4 tsp dry Savory - optional, Americans and Brits especially like it
  - Fresh herbs are best of course: 1/2 cup fresh = 1 tbsp dry 
• Black pepper - Whole corns crushed fresh is best
• Salt to taste.

Cook on low for 1 hour semi-covered (to reduce some liquid). Stir often!

Add these remaining ingredients that should not cook long:

• 1/2 lb / 200 g of fresh mushrooms quartered, not sliced! - Any mushroom type to your taste.
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped Parsley - A little more for Italian parsley (big leafs)
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic either pressed or chopped really fine.

Cook on low for another 30 minutes semi-covered (if you still need to reduce some liquid). Stir often! By now the volume should have reduced by a quarter to a third.

Serve with string beans or broccoli to complement the carrots and mushrooms in the stew. Steamed potatoes or noodles in the West, rice in Asia.

If you can plan ahead:

Let cool and refrigerate overnight. The sauce will gel better and the meat will pick up more seasoning flavor.

Ingredients for the party version - serves up to 25 (1/2 lb / 200 g of meat per person)

• 10-11 lbs / 5 kg beef (see above).
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 3 cups / 7 dl Sauce claire or "Au Jus".
• 2 liter Red wine - note that a standard bottle is 7.5 dl. not 1 liter!
• 2-3 Onions - or 6 shallots if you serve Thais!
• 4.5 lbs / 2 kg Carrots
• 1 tbsp dry Rosemary 
• 1 tbsp dry Oregano 
• 1 tsp dry Basil 
• 1 tsp dry Thyme 
• 1 tsp dry Savory - optional, Americans and Brits especially like it
• Black pepper
• Salt
• 3 lbs / 1 to 1 1/2 kg of fresh mushrooms.
• 1 cup of freshly chopped Parsley
• 1/2 head of fresh Garlic.

Tip:
You can freeze your stew, but you will lose some herb strength. Upon warming up, you will need to add some wine to smooth the mix and a dash of Tabasco to boost flavors back up.

Bon appetit!