Beef Stew with Red Wine and Artichokes
Cut 2 pounds of beef round into 1" pieces and shake in a bag with 4 Tbs flour.
Brown on medium high heat in 2 Tbs oil. Meanwhile prepare:
* 1 large onion, cut in 1/8s
* 4 large cloves of garlic, diced or pressed
* 1 carrot, peeled and diced
* 2 celery stalks, diced
Remove the meat when it's browned all over (about 10 minutes) and brown the onions and garlic about 8 minutes. Remove them and brown the carrots and celery about 8 minutes. Return the beef and onions and garlic back into the pot. Add:
* 1 cup red wine
* 2 cups beef broth
* 1 small can of V8 juice
* 1 cup of tomato juice
Stir and scrape to get all the good browned bits off the bottom of the pan, then simmer for an hour to an hour and a half. Add:
* 1 more cup of red wine
* 1 can drained artichoke hearts, cutting into 1/8s if not already cut
* 1 potato, peeled and diced
* 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
* a handful of asparagus tips (I didn't have any and left them out)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer another hour and a half or so, until the meat is very tender.
