This stew was the cover photo for the October issue of Bon Appétit. I wanted to make it as soon as I saw it. We don’t eat very much beef – usually just filet mignon, beef stew in the winter, and an occasional hamburger. This stew took a long time to cook, so I made it a day ahead and just re-heated it. Which results in a better stew anyway. It was excellent. I like my stew to have just meat with a thick gravy and maybe one or two vegetables. The meat should be the star.

• Texas Beef Brisket Chili (Bon Appetit, October 2008)
• Napa Pantry World’s Best Cornbread