Best Beef Stew

So for me, beef stew is like macaroni and cheese -- I never met a recipe I wasn't a little bit tempted to try, JUST in case it might be better than the other million recipes I already have. So when the practically perfect folks at Cooks Illustrated promised that this particular one was the Best Beef Stew...well, all I needed was a snowy Sunday with nothing else on the horizon and I was ready to roll.

Now truth be told, I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to "new" beef stew recipes. I've been around the beef stew block enough times that I need something pretty convincing in the latest recipe to get me on board for real, since beef stew is a major commitment. It involves chopping. It involves both searing and simmering. It involves many, many hours on the stove, and as my Cooks Illustrated friends pointed out, it can often smell better than it ultimately tastes. However, this latest recipe did come through for me in terms of the secret ingredient.

Are you ready?

Can you HANDLE it?

Okay, here goes.

ANCHOVIES.

No, I am not kidding. No, I have not finally lost my mind due to bacon overdose. Anchovies. It has an actual scientific explanation that goes with it, something to do with glutamates. All I know is that Cooks Illustrated is my Holy Grail of recipes, and if they say anchovies, I am down with the anchovies. And sure enough -- the stew tasted richer and more intense...and not a bit like fish. Promise.

So if you, like me, are always on the hunt for the next best beef stew, give this one a try and don't be afraid of the anchovies. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice!

BEST BEEF STEW, from Cooks Illustrated

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
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
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2	bay leaves
4	sprigs fresh thyme
4	ounces salt pork , rinsed of excess salt
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

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine garlic and anchovies in small bowl; press with back of fork to form paste. Stir in tomato paste and set mixture aside.

2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Do not season. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn. Transfer beef to large plate. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, leaving second batch of meat in pot after browning.

3. Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion and carrots to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and salt pork. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 11/2 hours.

5. Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves and salt pork. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

6. Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in pearl onions; cook over medium heat until potatoes and onions are cooked through and meat offers little resistance when poked with fork (meat should not be falling apart), about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl and allow to soften for 5 minutes.

7. Increase heat to high, stir in softened gelatin mixture and peas; simmer until gelatin is fully dissolved and stew is thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

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