Beef Stew with Red Wine

• MAKE-AHEAD
• STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients

1. 3 1/2 tablespoons pure olive oil
2. 4 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2 1/2 -inch cubes
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
5. 3 cups full-bodied red wine, preferably Italian
6. 3 sage leaves
7. 2 whole cloves
8. 1 bay leaf

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Add one-third of the meat and season with salt and pepper, then brown well on all sides over moderately high heat, about 5 minutes; adjust the heat if the bits on the bottom of the casserole get too dark. Transfer the meat to a plate. Repeat 2 more times, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half of the remaining meat for each batch.
2. When all of the meat has been browned, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the casserole. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over moderate heat until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the wine and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the wine is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Repeat 3 more times, adding 1/4 cup of the wine each time and using a total of 1 cup of wine.
3. Return the meat to the casserole and add the remaining 2 cups of wine, the sage, cloves and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Skim the stew and season with salt and pepper. Remove the sage, cloves and bay leaf and serve the stew in shallow bowls.