Beef and Pepper Stew

Ingredients

• 2 pounds stewing beef , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large red bell peppers , seeded and cut into chunks
• 2 large yellow bell peppers , seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 large green bell pepper , seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 large potato , cut into chunks (optional)
• 1 large yellow onion , cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 5 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme , chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Steps

1. Sprinkle the cubes of beef with the salt, pepper and flour, toss briefly to thoroughly coat the beef.

   Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef, a few cubes at a time so as to not overcrowd. Brown the beef on all sides and transfer to a plate.

   Add the bell peppers, onions and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook for 5 minutes until softened, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the red wine and bring to a rapid boil for 2 minutes.

   Return the beef to the Dutch oven with the remaining ingredients. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 90 minutes until the beef is fork tender.

   This stew is even better the next day!