beef-thyme stew with mushrooms and swiss chard

beef-thyme stew with mushrooms and swiss chard
3T olive oil or vegetable oil
2 lbs beef chuck, cut into large-ish chunks
3 large onions, halved and sliced
1T garlic, minced
2T fresh thyme, leaves stripped off stems and chopped fine
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
2 10-oz boxes white mushrooms, sliced thickly and sauteed
1 bunch swiss chard
red wine

1 baguette or loaf of rustic-type bread

[1] heat half of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. brown beef and remove to a plate (tent with foil).

[2] add remaining oil and turn heat to medium. when the pan is hot, add onions and garlic. when the fond on the pan is about to burn, add 1/2c red wine. add thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer. add diced tomatoes (including juice) and let simmer until thickened slightly.

[3] add the beef back to the liquid with any accumulated juices. let simmer 2 to 3 hours (yeah, sorry for the long cooking time) on low heat. stir it once in a while. you can transfer the stew to a large saucepan for this part if you like; make sure you cover it.

[4] add the swiss chard and mushrooms. cook 30 minutes.

[5] usually i hate stews that aren't thick enough, but this one is just on the edge of acceptable, consistency-wise. serve this one with french or country bread to soak up the juices.

[serves 4]