1 T. butter
1 T. vegetable oil
1½ lb. chuck roast, cut into large bite-sized chunks
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 heaping T. flour
2 cups beef stock, hot
1 T. beef bouillon
Fresh thyme
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
3 medium carrots, sliced
1½ lbs. yellow potatoes, thinly sliced
1 T. melted butter
In a Dutch oven, fry beef in butter and oil until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove beef, reserving drippings. Add onions and cook until soft, stirring regularly, about 3-4 minutes. Add beef back in, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add in hot stock, bouillon, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and several sprigs of fresh thyme. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, stir in carrots. Transfer stew to a casserole dish. Starting from the outside, layer potatoes, moving toward the center. Brush potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle with more fresh thyme leaves. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 1 hour.
After an hour, turn oven up to 400 degrees and remove lid or foil. Cook for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top. Let rest for 5 minutes and remove thyme stems before serving.
Use lamb instead of beef for a more traditional preparation. Any type of beef roast should work, but the marbling on the chuck roast does make for tender, succulent meat.
Adapted from recipe by Nicky Corbishley, kitchensanctuary.com
