Boiled Beef with Dill Sauce

This quintessential southern German dish features beef stew meat simmered until meltingly tender in a broth.

Chilling the resulting dish and rewarming allows the flavors to meld. The sauce cuts through the richness of the beef.

3 pounds chuck, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium-large onions, chopped coarse
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick sticks (you want to fish these out later)
2 stalks celery, sliced into ¼ in thick sticks (you want to fish these out later)

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place beef cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat in large Dutch oven or pot. Add half of meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove meat and set aside on plate. Repeat process with remaining oil and meat.
Add onions to empty Dutch oven and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a simmer. Add meat and return to a simmer. Cover and place pot in oven. Cook for 1 hour.
Remove pot from oven and add carrots and celery. Cover and return to oven. Cook just until meat is tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Remove pot from oven.
Remove 2 cups stock from pot. Set aside.
Melt butter on medium heat in heavy-bottomed saucepan. When butter is melted and foam has subsided, pull pan off heat and add flour, stirring briskly. Return to heat, and stir constantly, 3-6 minutes until golden brown.
Pull pan off heat and quickly whisk in ½ of stock. When mixture is smooth, add in remaining stock. Cook 3-4 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Mix in sour cream, dill, salt and pepper to taste.
Remove meat from pot and add to sauce. Server with Hefeknoedel or soft bread.