Red Wine Beef Stew (French-Style)

0 Heat oven to 325 (160C) degrees with the rack in the center.
1 Prep the beef: Trim [wprm-ingredient text="3 pounds beef chuck roast" uid="0"] of excess fat and slice into 3-4 inch chunks. Season evenly on all sides with 2 teaspoons salt.
2 Heat [wprm-ingredient text="3 tablespoons olive oil i" uid="2"]n a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides, turning with a pair of tongs. Tip: To get the best sear, try not to crowd the pan. Remove the meat to a platter as you go.
3 Lower the heat to medium and add [wprm-ingredient text="2-3 finely chopped shallots" uid="3"] to the pot. Cook 5 minutes in the pan fat, stirring every now and then, until softened. Return the beef and all the reserved juices that have collected on the plate to the pot. Sprinkle [wprm-ingredient text="3 tablespoons all-purpose flour" uid="4"] over the beef and stir to coat. Add [wprm-ingredient text="2 tablespoons tomato paste" uid="5"], [wprm-ingredient text="4 whole garlic cloves" uid="6"], ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and cook 30 seconds. Pour in [wprm-ingredient text="1 ½ cups hearty dry red wine" uid="8"], scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits.
4 Bring to a simmer, then add enough broth to just cover the beef. Toss in the herb bundle. Cover the pot with a sheet of parchment or foil, then top with the pot lid.
5 Place in the oven to braise for 2 ½-3 hours. The cooking liquid will be slightly reduced and the meat should fall apart when prodded with a fork.
Cook the vegetables
6 While the beef is in the oven, put [wprm-ingredient text="1 pound  peeled carrots in 2-inch chunks" uid="11"], [wprm-ingredient text="2 chopped leeks, " uid="12"][wprm-ingredient text="2 stalks chopped celery" uid="20"], and [wprm-ingredient text="1 fennel bulb sliced into  ½-inch wedges" uid="13"] in a large skillet with ¼ cup water, [wprm-ingredient text="1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil" uid="14"] and ½ teaspoon salt. Place over high heat until the water boils. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender but still colorful, about 10-12 minutes. If there's liquid left in the pan, simmer uncovered until it's mostly evaporated. Remove the vegetables from the heat and set aside.
7 To serve: Stir the vegetables into the stew. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as desired. Pick out and remove the bay leaf and herb bundle stems. Sprinkle with [wprm-ingredient text="¼ cup chopped fresh parsley" uid="15"] and ladle into bowls.