Best Beef Stew

Name: Best Beef Stew
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 medium, garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 4 , anchovy fillets, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons); 1 tablespoon, tomato paste; 1 , boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (see note and step by step below); 2 tablespoons, vegetable oil; 1 large, onion, halved and cut from pole to pole into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups); 4 medium, carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups); 1/4 cup, unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 cups, red wine (see note); 2 cups, low-sodium chicken broth; 2 , bay leaves; 4 sprigs, fresh thyme; 4 ounces, Salt pork, rinsed of excess salt (see note); 1 pound, Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 1/2 cups, frozen pearl onions, thawed; 2 teaspoons, unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 packet); 1/2 cup, water; 1 cup, frozen peas, thawed; , Table salt and ground black pepper

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By J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2010

SERVES6 to 8

TIME3¾ hours

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

The taste of beef stew is rarely as complex as its rich aroma would lead you to believe. We wanted a rich-tasting but approachable beef stew with tender meat, flavorful vegetables, and a rich brown gravy that justified the time it took to p...

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