3 to 4 lbs. boneless beef stew meat

cut into 2" cubes

Cooking oil

2 cups sliced onions

2/3 cup sliced carrots

5 cups or 1 bottle Peirano Estate Old Vine or Primo Zinfandel

1-2 cups beef stock or broth

3-4 large garlic cloves smashed

2 cups plum tomatoes cored and chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

Salt to taste

3 tbs. flour

2 tbs. butter for the Beurre-Manie sauce

Preparation:

Dust all the meat with flour and brown on all sides in a film of oil in the fry pan.  Transfer meat as it is done to the casserole.  Skim fat in fry pan.  If burned discard all oil and start fresh with new oil.  Onions and carrots in fry pan and fry until onions are lightly brown then scrape them over beef.  Pour cup of wine into fry pan and swish to deglaze then pour over beef.  Add garlic and rest of liquid to almost cover the beef add more if needed.  Add bay leaf, thyme and salt to taste.  You should have enough liquid to almost cover beef.  Add more if needed.  Stew the beef at 325º for 3 or more hours.  Bring meat to a simmer on top of the stove and cook turning and basting until fork tender.  Finishing the stew.  Pour contents of the casserole into a colander set over a large pan to reserve everything.  Return pieces of meat into casserole.  Press juices out of vegetables and residue in the colander into the sauce pan.  Adjust seasoning.  Pinch together flour and butter this is the base for the beurre-manie sauce and add little glops of paste to stew and blend in to thicken.  Boil a little for concentration of flavor.  Return to casserole and use over rice, risotto or noodles.  Even better the next day.  Pour a glass of Peirano Old Vine Zinfandel or Primo and let the flavor burst.  Enjoy!