Making beef stew again

a little secret i picked up with the beef stew - the ends of your onions and carrots and such should go in a side pot to simmer in chicken stock, wine, or whatever liquids you're using in your stew. add one at a time to reduce down before adding a different one. multiple reductions equal layers of flavor.

When it gets all the way down, hit with butter, then flour. strain into the main pot. If too thick, pour something through it. I kept adding little slices of orange zest as it reached full thickness. Also, the juice of half an orange.

This time I'm using up my freezer stockof Trader Joe's sausage in the stew along with my usual meat, fingerling sweet potatoes and Washington baby white potatoes, along with a load of carrots and a pound of sweet peppers.

Yum. Should be good. Using cheap burgundy and PA apple cider. Saved the chicken stock for the side reduction pot in the beginning, because if you simmer veg ends in stock and stop there, it's still good. But I was an overachiever tonight.

Last, I added bucatini. Add it vertically if you try this. Laying it on top, even in a pot as large as mine, does not work. Also, add water - enough so you can stir it all with a large spoon. Once it reduces by half, I'm hitting the sack.