Description
This French-inspired beef stew brings together tender chunks of beef, smoky bacon, juicy mushrooms and sweet little onions in a deeply savoury sauce. Red wine and fresh herbs give it wonderful depth, and after a couple of hours on the stove, you’ll have a hearty meal worth taking your time over.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2.2 lb - 1 kg braising beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 6 rashers bacon, diced
- 13 oz - 375 g whole button mushrooms, approximately 1 1/2 punnets
- 16 small pickling onions, peeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 bay leaves, lightly crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 tbsp brandy, optional
- 1.25 cups - 300 ml beef stock, plus extra as needed
- Salt, to taste
- Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add 6 diced bacon rashers and cook until crisp and nicely browned. Transfer the bacon to a bowl, leaving a little of the rendered fat in the saucepan.
- Add 2 tbsp butter to the same saucepan. Stir in 375 g whole button mushrooms and 16 peeled pickling onions. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have started to brown and the onions have picked up some colour. Transfer them to the bowl with the bacon and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to the saucepan. Pat the 1 kg cubed braising beef dry with paper towel, then brown it in batches over medium to medium high heat. Avoid overcrowding the pan, as the beef needs to brown rather than steam. Return all the browned beef to the saucepan.
- Stir in 2 tsp minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Sprinkle over 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes so the flour coats the beef and cooks slightly.
- Add 2 crushed bay leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme and 2 sprigs fresh rosemary. Pour in 2 tbsp brandy, if using, followed by 1 1/2 cups dry red wine. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, scraping the bottom of the saucepan to loosen any browned bits. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to reduce the wine slightly.
- Pour in 300 ml beef stock and stir well. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover partially with a lid. Cook for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add extra beef stock a little at a time whenever the liquid becomes too low. Keep the stew at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
- Return the cooked bacon, mushrooms and pickling onions to the saucepan. Stir gently and simmer for another 30 minutes, partially covered, until the beef is fork tender and the onions are soft but still hold their shape. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last 10 to 15 minutes to let it reduce.
- Remove the bay leaves and herb stems. Stir in 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, then taste before adding salt and coarsely ground black pepper. The bacon and beef stock can already be salty, so season carefully at the end.
- Serve hot with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables. Mashed potatoes, crusty bread or buttered noodles are also lovely for soaking up that rich sauce.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Gail
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 441.7 mg
- Fat: 27.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.2 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 44.8 g
- Cholesterol: 128.1 mg
