- Bouquet Garni:
- 15 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
- Stew:
- 6 strips Safeway SELECT Extra-Thick Bacon, diced
- 1 pound boiling or pearl onions (about 1-inch in diameter), peeled
- 3 pounds lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 pound thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 cup Safeway SELECT Frozen Peas, thawed
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with
- 3 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper
- With cotton string, tie thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves together in a tight bundle. Set aside.
- In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine bacon and onions. Cook until bacon and onions are browned, about 10 minutes. (If bacon begins to brown too rapidly, reduce heat to medium.) Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. To pan, add about 1/3 of the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and repeat to cook remaining beef in batches.
- When all the beef is browned, pour off and discard any fat left in pan. Return meat to pan along with bouquet garni, carrots, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer 2 hours. Add potatoes, then cover and continue simmering until meat and potatoes are very tender when pierced, about 30 minutes more.
- Remove and discard bouquet garni. Skim off and discard any fat from pan juices. Stir in peas and bring stew to boiling. Add cornstarch mixture, gently stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.