Beef Chianti

This is a beef stew that my mother, Leona would usually make in the fall. The scent of it cooking in the house was heavenly! Something about the chianti wine really added a wonderful flavor to the stew. It's a family favorite.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  lbs stew beef chunks
• 3  tablespoons canola oil
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves
• 2  stalks celery, chopped
• 4  small potatoes, cubed
• 3  carrots, chopped
• 2  cups beef broth
• 1  cup  chianti wine
• 8  ounces tomato sauce
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄2 teaspoon basil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
•  salt and pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme

Directions

1. Place beef and flour in a ziplock bag. Add ground black pepper and salt to your liking.
2. Seal bag and shake and toss until beef is coated. Set aside.
3. Gather your vegetables and chop them all into bite-size chunks. Peel potatoes and do the same. Set aside.
4. In a stovetop dutch oven, heat oil until hot. Drop in coated beef cubes and brown lightly.
5. Add chopped onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables.
6. Add the 2 cups of beef broth, one can of tomato sauce and one cup of wine.
7. Last, stir in the bay leaf and herbs. Bring to a low boil and turn down to simmer for 1 hour.
8. Serve with a crusty bread. Mmmmm!
9. After the hour is over, if you would like the broth thicker, you can add 2 tablespoons of flour to about 1/2 cup of cold water, shake and stir it in to thicken. (this is optional). It just depends on how you prefer your stew. For thinner, add a little water. Mine never seems to turn out the same way twice so I added this for an option. :-).