This classic French dish is easy to prepare recipe for when the weather is cooler; it will warm you right up. This dish is very good served with crusty Italian bread, buttered noodles, or just on its own.
6 slices smoked bacon
3 pounds good stewing beef – The Centre-Cut Round Steak is a great choice
Olive oil or peanut oil (optional)
3 or 4 cups burgundy or dry red wine
2 cups Basic Brown Soup Stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 pound mushrooms, browned in butter
2 or 3 yellow onions, peeled, chopped, and browned in butter
Roux of ½ cup flour browned in ½ cup butter
Cut the bacon into little strips, and blanch them with boiling water. Fry gently, being careful not to burn them or to darken the fat.
Remove the bacon from the pan, and in the fat, brown the beef. You may wish to add a little olive or peanut oil to the pan. (Note that the meat is not floured before being browned.) Brown the meat carefully and rapidly so that it is a lovely deep brown on all sides. Place in a large 4-quart casserole.
Add the wine and soup stock. Add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, a bay leaf, and a little salt. Careful with the salt - taste first.
Deglaze your frying pan by putting it back on the heat for a moment after you have removed the beef. When the pan is slightly hot, add a stiff shot of red wine, and move it around with a wooden spoon. Add this beautiful dark liquid to the casserole.
Bake the casserole in a 180° Celsius oven for at least 2 to 3 hours. (You may also cook this in a heavy kettle on the top of the stove.) When the beef is tender, add the mushrooms and yellow onions. Let all cook together for 20 minutes, and then thicken the whole with the roux.
Serve this dish with much too wine for your guests, along with some cooked green vegetables and a huge salad. You will be famous in about a half hour.
Hint: On Browning Meat for a Stew
Please do not flour the meat when you brown it for a stew or cassoulet. Browning floured meat means that you have browned flour and the point here is to brown and color the natural sugars in the meat. So do not flour. Heat the pan, and add a bit of oil. Sear or brown the meat very quickly, and then add to the stewpot. The overall color and flavor will be much improved.
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