1

Preheat the oven to 350° Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Working in batches, add the beef, sprinkle it with salt, and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large plate and set aside.

2

Add the onions and garlic to the Dutch over, reduce the heat to moderately low, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden -- about 7 minutes. Stir in the paprika and caraway seeds and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and boil, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots, tomato paste, stock, and browned beef, and bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake until the beef is almost tender -- about 1 hour 10 minutes.

3

Stir in the potatoes, cover, and continue baking until the potatoes and beef are tender -- about 30 minutes more. Transfer the Dutch oven to the stovetop and stir in the peas. Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat until the peas are tender -- about 4 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and heat just to serving temperature -- do not boil.

Ground Beef Variation:

1

In Step 1, decrease the vegetable oil to 1 tablespoon and substitute 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef for the chuck, then proceed as directed. In Step 2, proceed as directed but add the potatoes along with the carrots. Do not transfer the casserole to the oven, but let it simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Add the peas and sour cream as directed in Step 3.