Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce

I was worried this dish might end up too sweet after reading reviews, but the final result was nothing short of delicious. I made a few changes - simmering for longer, skipping on the thickener, Malbec instead of Cabernet, and parsnips for half of the carrots - and the final result was amazing. I expected to have leftovers after having friends over for dinner, but was sadly disappointed after everyone went for seconds. I suppose there are bigger problems to have though ... next Canadian Thanksgiving I'll just have to remember to cook more food!

Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce (from epicurious.com)

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 kg boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon (or Malbec)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained (or plain and add some dried spices)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
2 bay leaves
250g slender carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
250g slender parsnips, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
2. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. (You may have to do this in batches and then do the onion separately after the meat.)
3. Push meat to sides of pot (or remove entirely). Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
4. Mix meat into onions (or re-add). Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (I upped this to roughly 2 hours).
6. Add carrots, parsnips, and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes (or an hour - 1.5 hours), stirring occasionally.
7. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer.
8. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper.