Rainy Day Beef Stew

"I'm determined to make a good beef stew become part of my cooking repertoire and upon recommendation from someone who I deem a good cook, I embarked on following the recipe from The Joy Of Cooking to get some practice. Three attempts in and I'm still perfecting it, but this recipe seems to be a good base for making a great beef stew best enjoyed on a rainy evening like tonight."

Recipe variations are limitless, but we'll start from here:

Trim and pat dry and cut into 2 inch cubes:

2 lbs boneless beef stew meat (chuck, short-rib meat, bottom round)

Season with:
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs
(thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (seasoned salt preferred)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dredge in:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Shake off any excess flour. Heat in dutch over over medium-high heat:

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Add the meat in batches and brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pot or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot or add more if needed). Add:

1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 small rib celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped

Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add:

2 bay leaves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs, same as above
1/2 teaspoon salt (seasoned salt preferred)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Add enough to cover the meat at least halfway:

2 to 3 cups beef or chicken stock or broth, dry red or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add:

2 to 3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 to 4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 to 4 ribs of celery, cut into chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, skim off any fat from the surface, and remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Thicken sauce with cornstarch if necessary.

Source: The Joy Of Cooking, Beef Stew, page 479 of 75th Anniversary Editon