Meat and Potatoes

This weather is making me want to eat stuff like this:

Beef, Carrot, Potato and Onion Stew.
(ready to be cooked)

Here's what you need to make it:
Stewing Beef
Carrots
Onion
Potatoes
Wine or beer or broth plus water
Thyme
Herbs de Provence
S&P
Oil
Flour

Golden brown things taste yummy: Caramelization
That's why you want to brown the meat first.
Like this:
Mix flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Or, better yet,  a container with a lid.
Toss or shake meat into mixture to coat.
Heat a pot to a med/high-ish temperature.
A heavy-bottomed pot works best.
Use your instincts/brains with the heat levels.
They will depend on your your stove.
We're going for golden, not blackened.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil.
Fry the meat in batches.
You want to be able to comfortably flip them.
And allow air to move in between them.
Move to a plate as each batch is done.
Doesn't matter if it all cools down.
You'll be left with a lovely crusty pot.

This is where the liquid comes into play: De glazing
I like red wine best, but anything will work fine.
I think I used broth the day I took that photo up there.
Just make sure you like the taste of what you use.
If you don't like to drink sweet red wine, don't cook with it.
Turn the heat up a little higher and pour in a glug of liquid.
Scrape the bits off the pot and help them dissolve.
Et voila - you have a lovely sauce.
Or, in this case, the foundation for a stew.

Turn down the heat.
Put the meat back into the pot and add the chopped veggies.
In this case I used mini potatoes and left them whole.
Sometimes I make the stew with just beef, carrots and onions.
Then, I serve it over mashed potatoes.
Add enough liquid to cover everything
It's ok to use some water.
Add herbs, if you like.  
Thyme, Herbs de Provence or Rosemary are nice.
With the right pot it can continue cooking in the oven.
But the stovetop will work too.
Just  be a bit more attentive and maybe stir it a bit more.
Either way, it needs to be cooked low and slow.
Stewing beef is tasty, but it's cheap for a reason.
Needs to be loosened up.

I usually use the oven method at 325 for about 2 hours.
Keep it covered.
Tin foil works.

Pointing out this cheap but yummy wine is about as original and cutting edge as eating a PB&J sandwich, but I'm slow to these things things and maybe you are too.

Fuzion Malbec. It's like, ten bucks.

Cheap enough to cook with, yummy enough to drink.