Snowy night Stew!!!

It is a cold and snowy night here in Boston. So, I'm thinking it's a great night for stew. For Christmas dinner I made a really simple Beef Stew with a cheap cut of beef, baby carrots, button mushrooms, pearl onions, Pinot Noir, beef stock and fresh thyme. As always we have tons of left over at my mom's and tonight is the perfect night for hot stew. Here is my recipe for Beef Stew (I did borrow one of Julia Child's tips, which is to dry the meat before you sear it. It gets a better caramelization on the meat).

Serves 6
1 lb cubed beef (chuck or top round)
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons at room temp
1 bunch baby carrots, peeled and left whole
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, brushed clean and left whole
1/2 cup pearl onions (fresh or frozen)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup Pinot Noir
3 cups beef stock

Preheat oven to 350degrees
In a dutch oven, melt the butter. When it is warm, sear off the beef, ensuring each side is seared. Remove the beef and set aside. Throw in carrots, mushrooms and onions and saute for about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the thyme. Return the beef to the pot and deglaze with the wine. Let the alcohol cook off about 5 minutes. Add beef broth and cover with lid. Place in oven and cook for about four to five hours. Check the stew about two hours in. If the liquid has reduced too much add more stock or even water. Adjust seasonings at the midpoint. When stew is done beef should be fork tender. Remove from oven and put on a medium-high burner. In a bowl knead the flour and the butter to make a beurre manie, add this to the stew and allow it to thicken the sauce. If you would like to keep the broth thin, skip this step.
Serve stew with mashed potatoes or biscuits or if you want to be good, a crisp salad. Enjoy!