Beef in Red Wine

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   Cut the meat into large cubes.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 2
   Season the meat with the salt and black pepper.
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and brown the meat on all sides. Remove to a plate.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Brown the meat in batches, without crowding: in a crowded pot it stews in its own juices instead of searing.

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
4. 4
   Add the onion and celery to the oil left in the wide pot and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 5
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
6. 6
   Add the carrot and fry another 5 minutes, stirring.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
7. 7
   Add the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes, stirring.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
8. 8
   Add the wine and cook 3 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates.

   Stove

   💡Reduce the wine before the tomatoes: the harsh alcohol evaporates, leaving the concentrated flavor of the wine.
9. 9
   Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil.

   Stove
10. 10
    Return the meat to the pot.
11. 11
    Turn down to low, cover and simmer 1½ hours, until the meat very soft.

    ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

    💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
12. 12
    Serve with mashed potatoes.