Oven Beef Beer Stew

(from The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

Serves 6

2 pounds beef stew meat
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer, allowed to go flat (I used Sierra Nevada Porter)
2 cups beef stock or broth
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces medium mushrooms, halved

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large, lightly sprayed or oiled, Dutch oven, combine meat, salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, flour, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, and beer and mix well. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Add stock, carrots, and mushrooms and bake, covered, until meat is very tender, about 1 hour longer.