beef and tomato stew... 3 hours

the goods:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
45 plum tomatoes
6 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 wide strips orange zest
10 shallots, halved if large



Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide tomatoes and thyme between two shallow baking pans. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.



Bake until tomatoes burst, 45 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool, then coarsely chop.



Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Season meat with salt and pepper. In batches, cook until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer browned meat to a plate.



Return meat to pot. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, 30 seconds. Add 3 cups of the roasted tomatoes (reserve remaining tomatoes for dinner tomorrow), bay leaf, orange zest, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven and cook 45 minutes.



Remove from oven and stir in shallots.



Cover and return to oven; cook until meat and shallots are tender, about 45 minutes.



Serve with warm crusty bread.