This is a really easy to make one pot dish, that tastes great. Even my mother-in-law begrudgingly admitted to liking it, as she asked for another bowl. Added bonus is that it makes the house smell really good too. if you can make it a day or two before you plan to eat it. It gets even better with time. Its a meaty stew as opposed to a saucy stew.

Ready

• Olive oil
• 4 pounds beef cubed (I use boneless beef chuck)
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• Bottle of red wine (full bodied)
• 3 sage leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Set

• A big pot and a big spoon

Go

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
2. Brown meat in a little olive oil. Brown for about 5 min, medium heat. Probably need to work in batches. Set aside when done.
3. In same pan, add a little more oil, saute onions stirring until soft, not brown, 5 minutes.
4. Add ¼ cup wine and simmer until wine is almost evaporated. About 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 more times using ¼ cup each time.
5. Add the browned meat back to the pot.
6. Add remaining wine, and spices, cover and simmer low heat until meat is tender. About 2 hours.
7. Skim, season with salt and pepper, remove spices, and serve.

What you should know

As always you should cook with wine that you would also drink. Spices are a starting point, improvise if desired. Can be made with a full bodied beer instead of wine, but don’t use cloves. If you’re feeling really ambitious, pair this with french fries. They go great together. boiled or roasted potatos are good too.