Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 pounds cipollini onions (about 2 sacks) or 1 1/2 pounds red or yellow pearl onions
- 3 pounds stew beef or beef chuck
- cut into 2- to 2 1/2-inch pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch ground cloves
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock
- 4 large underripe brown-skin pears
- peeled and cut into 4 to 6 wedges each
- 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- such as Golds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil for the onions.
- Salt the water and boil the onions for 5 minutes.
- Then drain the onions and cool to handle.
- Peel the onions by squishing the root end out of the skins.
- Bring the beef to room temperature and pat dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven and add the beef in batches, browning until deeply caramelized all over.
- Repeat until all the beef has been browned, adding more oil when necessary.
- Remove the browned meat to a plate, covered with foil and reserve for later use.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter to the same pot used for browning the meat.
- When the butter foams, add the onions to the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper, and add in the thyme, allspice, cloves and some nutmeg.
- Cook until light caramel in color, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drizzle in the honey.
- Then add the sherry to deglaze the pan.
- Next, add the stock and the browned beef.
- Cover and roast in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Add the pears and stir to combine.
- Roast until the beef is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more.
- Cool and store in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal.
- When ready to serve, reheat the potted beef in a 325 degrees F oven or on the stove-top, covered over medium-low heat.
- Stir up the sour cream with the chives, heavy cream and horseradish.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve atop the beef and onions with pears.
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