Beef Stew with Buttered Egg Noodles

This is one of my all-time favorite beef stew recipes. It takes some time to put together though!

2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
2 cups beef broth
8 oz. egg noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the meat in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss to coat. Ina large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add a quarter of the meat to the Dutch oven and brown, about 6 minutes; transfer with a slotted spoon to a platter. Cook the remaining meat in 3 batches, adding 1 more tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tbsp. butter to the Dutch oven for each batch.

Add the onion, garlic and thyme to the Dutch oven and cook until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the browned beef, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, paprika, cinnamon, bay leaf and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

About 20 minutes before the stew is done, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the egg noodles until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 1/2 tbsp. butter. Serve the stew over the noodles.