Beef Stew in Red Wine

Now here's the great thing about Beef Stews... you cook it once and you get to use it in so many different ways. First, enjoy it as a beef stew with a side mash, dinner roll or a pita bread. Then any left overs, you can pop into a pie or turn into a pasta sauce! The list doesn't end there. But since we are in Australia, you can check out our blog on how to turn this recipe into a pie!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered
• 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Season beef with salt and pepper, to taste. Add beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
• Place beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, paprika, caraway seeds and bay leaves until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup stew broth. Stir in flour mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until thickened.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.