Kalops — Allspice Beef Chuck Stew with Carrots & Onions

Ingredients

• 2 lb Beef Chuck, in 1½-inch cubes
• 3 Onions, thickly sliced
• 3 Carrots, in chunks
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 12 whole allspice berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp pickled beets, for serving
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Pat the Beef Chuck very dry and season it. Brown it hard in the butter in a Dutch oven, in batches, until each piece is mahogany on two sides — this is where the whole flavor of the stew comes from.
2. Add the Onions to the fat and cook until the edges color, 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir 1 minute so it toasts rather than tastes raw.
3. Return the meat, pour in the broth, and add the allspice and bay. The berries stay whole; anyone who bites one gets a small adventure.
4. Cover and cook at a bare simmer, or in a 325°F (165°C) oven, for 90 minutes. Add the Carrots for the last 30 minutes.
5. When the meat gives way to a spoon, taste for salt and pepper. Serve with boiled potatoes and pickled beets — the sharpness is not optional.