Beef Stew

A yummy in your tummy classic.  De-lish over egg noodles or just plain.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, in 1 inch cubes
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1-½ cups beef stock
• 1 cup canned crush tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound of mushrooms, washed and sliced (optional)
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley (optional

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Stir the flour, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in a shallow bowl. Turn the cubes of meat in flour to coat well. Shake off excess and transfer to a plate.

3.  Heat the oil in a heavy kettle. Add the meat, a few at a time, and brown them on all sides.  As they are browned transfer them to paper towels to drain.

4. When all the meat is browned, discard excess oil but do not wash the kettle.  Add the wine, beef stock, and crushed tomatoes, and set kettle over medium heart.  Bring to a boil. Stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Return beef to kettle, add chili powder and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.

5. Cover the kettle and set on middle rack of the oven.  Bake for 1-½ hours, stirring occasionally and regulating the oven temperature to maintain the stew at a steady simmer.

6. After the stew has cooked for about 1 hour, stir in the onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Continue to cook uncovered.

7. After another 15 minutes add the garlic, and parsley. Continue to cook uncovered, until stew is reduced and thickened to your liking and beef is tender. Serve with egg noodles.