Step 1
Wash and dry the vegetables well. Clean the carrots and chop them coarsely with the celery and onion with a knife.
Step 2
Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then cut it into bite-sized pieces of about 3-4 cm on each side.
Step 3
Pour the oil into the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently brown the chopped vegetables.
Step 4
Add the pieces of meat, raise the heat and brown them, stirring often.
Step 5
The meat will release liquids, so it is important that the flame is bright and that the pieces are evenly colored.
Step 6
When the water from the meat has evaporated, add the red wine
Step 7
Let it evaporate, then add the tomato paste and water. It smells like bay leaves.
Step 8
Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cook the beef stew slowly and with the lid on for about 2 hours, adding more water if it dries out too much.
Step 9
Check the cooking of the meat, which should be tender and not stringy. Reduce the sauce for a few minutes over high heat, then serve the beef stew piping hot.
Storage:
Beef stew can be stored for 2 days in the refrigerator, in a special glass container. It can be frozen if you use fresh meat.
