Make beef soup like grandma used to make with this recipe. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all of those wonderful juices.
2 lb. beef chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck-eye roast or top chuck trimmed and cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch cubes (not stew meat)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. paprika
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 t. kosher salt, divided
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
32 oz. beef stock
1 c. Cabernet Sauvignon
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. dried Italian seasoning or 1 t. dried basil, 1 t. rosemary, 1/2 t. oregano and 1/2 t. dried thyme
4 c. chopped red potatoes, bite-sized pieces
3 c. chopped baby carrots, bite-sized pieces
fresh parsley to garnish, if desired
Trim hard fat (which doesn't melt in the cooking process) and silvery white skin from beef and cut into 1- 1 1/2 inch cubes.
Combine flour, paprika, pepper and 1 t. salt in a large 1 gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake to combine. Add beef and shake until well-coated.
Warm (not too hot) olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, add butter. Once butter is melted, carefully add beef. Do not crowd pot, only add about 1/2 of the beef at a time.
Remove beef from flour and shake gently to remove excess flour. Place coated beef in pan, one piece at a time, and brown on all sides. Cook in two batches, about half each time. Turn pieces until all sides are browned. Remove them and place place in an upside down pot lid. Once the first batch is cooked, add the second batch and repeat.
Meanwhile, prepare shallot and garlic. Shallot should be diced and garlic minced. Set aside.
Once all beef is browned, add shallots and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add wine and deglaze pan by scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add beef stock, Worchestershire and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.
Return beef to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer. Allow soup to simmer 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare potatoes and carrots. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Add potatoes and carrots. Stir to coat vegetables and cover. Cook 40-50 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Taste broth. If necessary, add additional salt to taste.
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
12 servings