Beef Tzimmes

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• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, (well-marbled, cut into 1½-inch, 4-cm pieces)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 each medium yellow onions, (cut into 1-inch, 2.5-cm chunks)
• 5 each large cloves garlic, (peeled and smashed)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup orange juice, (from 2 oranges)
• ½ cup water
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 each bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, (divided)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 each large carrots, (peeled and cut into 1-inch, 2.5-cm chunks on a diagonal)
• ½ cup dried apricots
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, (peeled and cut into 1-inch, 2.5-cm chunks)
• ½ cup prunes

1. Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Place half of the beef in the pan and brown, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes; add the remaining oil and brown the remaining beef. (To sear the meat properly, let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
2. Add the onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar to the pot; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with the wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the orange juice, water, beef broth, bay leaf, rosemary, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and the sugar. Stir to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours.
3. Add the carrots and apricots. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and prunes and cook for 30 minutes more, or until all the vegetables and meat are tender. Fish out the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs and discard. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the stew or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. The flavor of the stew improves if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat until hot throughout. Garnish with the remaining fresh thyme leaves.