1.5kg lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
6 slices bacon
2 carrots, sliced
10-12 small pearl onions OR 1 small white onion, diced
300g mushrooms, sliced
500ml red wine, young and full-bodied (Pinot Noir or Gamay – Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
125ml tomato sauce
30g (1/4 cup) flour
salt and pepper
1/2 tspthyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. In a large dutch oven over medium high heat pot add the olive oil and bacon pieces. Cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.
Salt and pepper the beef and add it to the pot and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the dutch oven.
Add the carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside.
Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the sides and allow to deglaze. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and whisk in the flour.
Add the beef and the vegetables and bacon back to the pot and stir. Add thyme and bay leaf. Put a lid on pot and let it simmer in the oven for 1.5-2 hours until the beef is tender.