Adapted from Kitchen Life by Art Smith

No one will guess your secret ingredient for this delicious beef stew gourmet recipe is none other than the world’s favorite drink: Coffee.

3 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ in. chunks
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons+ olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
2 cups red wine, like Shiraz or Zinfandel
1 cup strongly brewed coffee
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, cut into ¾ in. rounds
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into ¾ in. rounds
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup all purpose flour

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the oil into a Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook in batches, until all sides are browned. Remove the beef with tongs.

Add additional oil, if needed. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and coffee. Bring to a boil. Using a spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot for browned bits of meat.

Add the meat to the Dutch oven, along with the thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 ½ hours.

Add the carrots and parsnips and keep cooking until they are tender, about 30 minutes.

In a bowl, squash the butter into the flour with the back of a spoon. Whisk 1 cup of the cooking liquid into the butter mixture, creating a paste. Stir this mixture into the Dutch oven.

Simmer until stew is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.