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4. Use tongs to carefully turn the cubes to another side and continue browning for about 8 minutes, turning the pieces as they cook until they’re deep golden brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to a medium-large bowl and set aside. If the pan looks dry and the bits left on the surface seem to be burning, add a little more olive oil to the pan. You want a thin film over the entire surface. Add the remaining meat and brown as described. Transfer to the bowl and set aside.

5. Without cleaning the pan, pour in a little more olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom). Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.

6. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then slowly whisk in 3 cups of the broth. (It will make a thick sauce for a moment before thinning out.)

7. Whisk in the tomato paste, garlic, and thyme, and add the bay leaves. Return the browned beef to the pot and check to see that the liquid reaches the top of the meat. If not, add a bit more broth or bouillon. Bring to a boil over high heat.

8. As soon as the liquid reaches the boiling point, turn off the heat. Cover the pot tightly with foil and cover that with a lid, too, if you have one that fits tightly. (You want to capture all the steam as the meat cooks.) Transfer the pot to the oven and cook, undisturbed, for 1 hour.

9. Carefully open the pot (to avoid getting burned by the steam that will escape), and stir in the potatoes and carrots. Cover again with the foil and lid, and return the pot to the oven for another 1 hour of cooking.

10. Remove the pot from the oven and let the stew sit, still covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot or warm.

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GET CREATIVE

You can substitute red wine for some or all of the beef broth. Added bonus of doing so: You get to call it “Boeuf Bourguignon.”

Like all stews and braises, this tastes even better the day after you cook it, so if you have time, make it ahead of time, let it cool, cover the pot, and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before reheating, skim off and discard any solidified fat that has formed on the surface.

Chopped parsley makes a perfect garnish.

This is a complete meal on its own, but you can round it out by serving it over or with some cooked egg noodles, lightly buttered, with a green salad alongside.

If you want to make a couple of meals out of your stew, serve some meat, potatoes, and carrots with a smaller proportion of the liquid for dinner one night; then cut the leftover meat and vegetables into smaller pieces and add some cooked barley for a wonderful second-day soup (with or without additional broth or reconstituted bouillon, as needed).

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grandma betty’s brisket

Makes 4 to 6 servings

My esteemed mother, Betty, has the right idea: succulent roasted brisket smothered with onions, which melt and mellow during the slow cooking process, flavoring and glazing the meat. Use a heavy pot with a tight-fitting ovenproof lid for this—ideally, one that’s not too much larger in diameter than the meat so that the onions remain moist and don’t burn. The labor for this is minimal but the oven time is long, so plan to make brisket at a time when you’ll be home. It’s great the second day, so if you’re going to have people over, you can make it well in advance.

The recipe makes enough for a few nights’ dinners. Whatever you don’t eat, leave unsliced and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag. You’ll find it’s even easier to slice when it’s cold. You can use the slices for sandwiches or reheat them in the microwave, in a skillet with a few drops of water to moisten them, or in a 325°F oven.

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

4 large red or yellow onions, sliced (not too thin)

One 3-pound beef brisket

2 tablespoons water

1. Adjust the rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a small