Boeuf aux Carottes (French Beef with Carrots)

Boeuf aux Carottes

I know I say this all the time but this one was just so good! It looks like it would be similar to an American beef stew but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t (I am not usually a beef stew fan).  The sauce, instead of being super beefy, was actually pretty sweet! One of the reasons I loved this recipe (…and French cooking in general) is that everything I needed was easily accessible in my local grocery store and the ingredients were very fresh with little to no preservatives. Despite the buttery goodness, I just feel better eating things like this Boeuf aux Carottes.

Fun Fact: I learned from a reddit that in France, they actually call their police internal affairs the boeuf carottes. I don’t know if that is true or not but it was very late at night when I first read that and it made me laugh really hard….to the point that Russell was quite confused and a little concerned for me. If someone knows the origins of the nickname boeuf carottes for the internal affairs please let me know in the comments, I would love to hear it!

Ingredients:

• 2 Large White Onions, sliced
• 4 Clove Garlic, minced
• 4 Large Shallots, minced
• 1 Stick Butter
• 3 lb. Chuck Beef, cut into chunks
• 1 Bottle Pinot Grigio (I used Dark Horse!)
• 6 oz Tomato Paste
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 4 Whole Cloves
• 1 Bunch Thyme (I stripped the leaves off loose sprigs and threw in whole connected bunches all together)
• 3 lb. Carrots, sliced about ¾” thick
• Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the onion, garlic, shallots and stick of butter to a Dutch oven and cook over medium-low heat until all are translucent, about 7 minutes.  You will want to stir fairly frequently to incorporate the butter as it melts and avoid burning.
2. Add the beef to the pot and stir well to incorporate.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until all pieces are slightly browned.
3. Add white wine, tomato paste, bay leaves, whole cloves, fresh thyme, pepper and generous amount of salt (I used about 2 teaspoons here). Stir well to incorporate and then bring to a boil on medium heat.  Once boiling, cover and turn the heat down to low.  Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally to avoid burning or sticking, for 1 hour.
4. Add the carrots and incorporate well.  Cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat.  The goal with this step is to evaporate some of the liquids to make a thicker more flavorful sauce.
6. Serve in bowls with some fresh parsley sprinkled on top.  Enjoy!!