Part 3/9:
A small cooking tip: add the crushed garlic to the hot oil before searing the beef to infuse the oil with aromatic garlic flavor. Remember to remove the garlic after a couple of minutes to prevent burning, while allowing the oil to soak up its essence.
Building Flavor with Wine and Deglazing
Once the beef is browned on all sides, transfer it out of the pot. Into the hot pot, toast the crushed black pepper for about 30 seconds, then deglaze with a generous pour of red wine—an aromatic oenological step that forms the backbone of the stew’s sauce. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot to maximize flavor extraction.