Beef Bourguignonne

Servings: 4 to 6
2 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into chunks
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup red Burgundy wine
1 cup brown veal stock
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 /2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley or 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1 bay leaf
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Pat the beef pieces dry and set aside in a bowl. Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. When the butter is hot, increase the heat to medium-high and add the meat and onions. Cook, turning the meat frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the meat is well seared and browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a bowl.
2. Decrease the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the flour over the onions in the pot. Stir well to coat the onions with the flour and meat drippings. Increase the heat to medium and add the wine, stock, shallot, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients. Return the meat to the pot, cover, and simmer over very low heat for 3 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.