The Garden Gate Recipe Collection

1# to 1.5# beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups rich home made beef stock

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon...if you don't enjoy red wines, use what you enjoy drinking, or omit and add extra stock

1 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

4 cups chopped red potatoes, bite-size pieces (about 1/2")

2 cups chopped baby carrots, bite-size pieces

fresh parsley to garish, optional

Trim hard fat (which does not melt during the cooking process) and silver skin (white and silvery looking) from beef and cut into 1 - 1 1/2" cubes. It takes about 5 minutes, but don't skip this step.  It is sooo worth it.

Combine flour, paprika, onion and garlic powders, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a large 1-gallon resealable bag. Seal and shake to combine. Add beef and shake until well coated.

Warm olive oil in a large dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot), over medium-high heat, once you can feel warmth when holding your hand 6 inches from the pot, add butter. Once butter is melted, carefully add beef. Do not crowd the pot, only add about 1/2 of the beef at a time.

Remove beef from flour and shake gently to remove loose flour. Place coated beef in pan, one piece at a time, brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Cook in two batches, about half each time. Turn pieces until all sides are browned and remove them and place in your upside-down pot lid. Once the first batch is cooked, add the second batch and repeat.

Meanwhile, prepare onion and garlic. Onion should be diced and garlic minced.  Set aside.

Once all beef is browned, add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add wine and deglaze pan by scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add beef stock, Worcestershire and Italian seasoning, remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Return beef to the pot.

Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare potatoes and carrots. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Add potatoes and carrots. Stir to coat vegetables and cover. Simmer 40-50 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender. Taste broth. If necessary, add additional salt to taste (mine was perfect).

Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve and enjoy

4 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (approximately 5-6 large onions)

3 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups of beef stock

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

a few generous pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

baguette, sliced  1/2 to 3/4" thick 

grated Swiss or gruyere

In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute until well browned and caramelized (but not burnt), about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 minute.  Stir in the wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the stock, worcestershire sauce (optional), bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes, partially-covered.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  While the soup is simmering, slice the baguette into 1-inch thick pieces and arrange them in single layer on baking sheet. 

Bake for 6-8 minutes, until the bread is toasted and golden around the edges.  Remove and set aside.

Switch the oven to the broiler.  When ready to serve the soup, place your oven-safe bowls or crocks on a thick baking sheet.  Ladle the soup into each of them, then top with a baguette slice and your desired amount of cheese (I used about 1/4 cup shredded cheese for each).  Place on an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat and broil for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove and serve immediately.