At home, beef stew makes a perfect Sunday meal. Start your preparations early, put it in the oven, and let it cook slowly until the flavor deepens and the meat is tender enough to fall apart. It’s even better served over a bed of buttered wide noodles or pappardelle pasta tossed in a bit of fresh parsley.

Ingredients:

2^1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups flour seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh baby carrots
1 pound fresh pearl onions, peeled or 1 pound frozen pearl onions
10 small red bliss potatoes, cut into quarters
3 cups beef stock or broth
2 cups (16 ounces) canned ground or crushed tomatoes
1 bottle (750 milliliters) Burgundy or another fruity red wine, divided
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup frozen peas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat the stew beef with the seasoned flour. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or braising pan over high heat. Add the meat, a few pieces at a time. Cook, turning several times with tongs, until the meat is crispy and brown on all sides. Repeat until all the meat is cooked. Set aside.

In the same pan, add the garlic, carrots, fresh onions if using, and potatoes. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the browned meat, stock, tomatoes, 2 cups of the red wine, bay leaves, and basil. Cover the pot, place in the oven, and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and add the remaining red wine. Bake, covered, for 3 hours more, or until the stew is fork tender. Remove from the oven. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the frozen peas and frozen onions, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine.

Makes 8 servings