[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Few dishes are as satisfying as this one. It’s rich, packed with flavour, and calls for wonderful ingredients like pearl onions, red wine, and fresh herbs. This classic French stew is also a wonderful way to use tougher cuts of beef, since it will braise for a long time, becoming very tender.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/AklTs8V9xho” align=”center”][vc_separator border_width=”2″ el_width=”90″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_column_text]YIELD: 6-8 servings
TIME: 4 hours[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1583889745287{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1583889848445{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1584307889277{margin-top: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_separator color=”black”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1584215381739{margin-right: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 25px !important;background-color: #f6f4f5 !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_text]INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 6 oz bacon or panchetta
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 bottle red wine (750mL)
- 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 18 to 24 small peeled white onions (about 1′′ in diameter)
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- Parsley
- 1 lb mushrooms, fresh and quartered
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Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Cut bacon or panchetta into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Sauté lardons in 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Ensure fat in casserole is hot, almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes.
Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325°F (165°C). Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Braise very slowly for 3 hours.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp butter with one and 1/2 tbsp of the oil until bubbling in a skillet. Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins.
Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 to 40 minutes until the onions are tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herbs and set onions aside.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms. Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.
Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for 2 or 3 minutes, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tbsp stock. Taste for seasoning.
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in casserole or arrange stew on a platter, surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
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