All Day Beef Stew

serves 6

Ingredients:

1. 4 lbs of stewed meat (or chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes)
2. 1 can of tomato paste
3. 1/2 cup of beef broth
4. 1/4 cup of good red wine
5. 2 cups of water
6. 6 cloves of garlic diced
7. 3 tbsp of olive oil
8. 2 tbsp of salt plus more to taste
9. 2 tbsp of paprika
10. 7 large carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (make sure they are all the same size and thickness)
11. 1 small bag of fingerling potatoes or mini baby potatoes or new potatoes quartered

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, add your meat, garlic, paprika, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt and toss your meat around and make sure all of the seasonings are coating the meat. Cover and place your meat in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to soak up the flavor.
2. After your meat has marinated for a bit, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in heavy-bottomed pan (with a tight-fitting lid- for later) on medium-high heat. Add your meat to the pan and sear it on all sides. Make sure to get all of your yummy spice mixture out of the bowl and into your pan. Once your meat has seared and turned a nice golden brown color, add your beef broth and mix it into the dish. Place a tight-fitting lid on it and place in the oven for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, check to make sure there is still some liquid (just a little is fine). If it is dry, add 1 cup of water. Cook for another 1 hour.
3. After it has cooked for about 3 hours, remove the hot pan from the oven and place back on to your stovetop over medium-high heat. Now add your can of tomato paste, your wine and 1 cup of water and mix it in well and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol. After 5 minutes, add your carrots and potatoes. At this point, all of your veggies and meat should be mostly covered by liquid. If it is not, you can add a little more water until it is. Now place the lid back on the pan and place in the oven for 1 more hour. After an hour check the tenderness of the meat and vegetables. The meat should easily cut with a fork and the vegetables should be easily pierced with a fork as well. Once done, remove from the oven and taste for seasonings. At this stage, add more salt to taste.
4. To serve: Ladle into bowls and serve with warm crusty bread and butter on the side. Also, serve with a nice red wine.