Vivian's Glorious Beef Stew

Updated on 9/27/2009 at 11:34PM EST

Here's a meal with which we're all familiar. I don't know about you, but I've had my share of very good versions of this family comfort-food classic. But this one really takes the cake. The difference is the subtle variation in the preparation and ingredients roster. It truly is "glorious", and highly recommended for those fall and winter meals. And of course, biscuits are a required side.

This recipe is courtesy of my grandmother, Vivian Argentini, and serves 6.

Preparation:

1. On a piece of waxed paper, roll the chuck in flour to coat well.

2. In hot oil, in a 4-quart Dutch oven, brown the chuck on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in salts, pepper, garlic, minced onion, bay leaf, sherry, tomato sauce, and 1 cup of water.

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer covered, 1.5 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove the bay leaf.

5. In a medium skillet, slowly melt butter with sugar. Add onions and carrots; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are glazed and golden - about 10 minutes.

6. Heat oven to 350F. Stir glazed vegetables and potatoes into beef mixture. Bake covered for 30 minutes.

7. Add peas and mushrooms. Bake 20 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Ingredients:

2 lbs Beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup salad oil or shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp minced onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup sherry
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tbs butter or margarine
2 tsp sugar
10 small white onions, peeled
6 medium carrots pared and cut into thirds
1 lb new potatoes, pared
1 pkg (10 oz) thawed frozen peas
1 can (3 oz) sliced mushrooms
2 tbs chopped parsley