Wachau Beef Stew with Prunes | Tenderly Braised

Pat the beef dry and cut it into pieces of approx. 3–4 cm. Season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Finely chop the onions, crush the garlic and chop finely. Peel the carrots and celeriac and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Halve the prunes.

Heat the clarified butter in a heavy stew pot or Dutch oven. Sear the beef in batches vigorously on all sides until nicely browned, then remove and set aside.

In the remaining cooking fat, slowly sauté the onions until golden yellow. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and roast for about 1 minute. Deglaze with a splash of red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour in the remaining red wine and reduce by half.