Tradition dictates that you should use the same wine in this stew that you plan to serve with it, but a less expensive full-bodied wine will do for cooking. The stew reheats very well.
SERVES: 6
PREP TIME: 30 min
COOK TIME: 3 hours
READY TIME: 3 hours 30 min
CALORIES: 228 (per serving)
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INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 kg/3½ lb lean stewing beef (chuck or shin)
- 175 g/6 oz lean salt pork or thick cut rindless streaky bacon
- 40 g/1½ oz/3 tbsp butter
- 350 g/12 oz baby onions
- 350 g/12 oz small button mushrooms
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 45 ml/3 tbsp plain flour
- 750 ml/1¼ pints/3 cups red wine, preferably Burgundy
- 25 ml/1½ tbsp tomato puree
- Bouquet garni
- 600-750 ml/1-1¼ pints/2½-3 cups beef stock
- 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1 Cut the beef into 5 cm/2 in pieces and dice the salt pork or cut the bacon crossways into thin strips.
2 In a large heavy flameproof casserole, cook the pork or bacon over a medium heat until golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Pour off all but 30 ml/2 tbsp of the fat.
3 Increase the heat to medium-high. Add enough meat to the pan to fit easily in one layer (do not crowd the pan or the meat will not brown) and cook, turning to colour all sides, until well browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and continue browning the meat in batches.
4 In a heavy frying pan, melt one-third of the butter over a medium heat, add the baby onions and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly golden. Set aside on a plate.
5 In the same pan, melt half of the remaining butter over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until golden, then set aside with the baby onions.
6 When all the beef has been browned, pour off any fat from the casserole and add the remaining butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 3—4 minutes until just softened, stirring frequently. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine, tomato puree and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, scraping the base of the pan.
7 Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and pour on the stock, adding more if needed to cover the meat and vegetables when pressed down. Cover the casserole and simmer very gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add the sauteed mushrooms and baby onions and cook, covered, for a further 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni and stir in the parsley before serving.
NUTRITION FACTS
Calories: 228.3 Kcal
Fat: 4.7 g
Cholesterol: 50.4 mg
Sodium: 452.6 mg
Potassium: 578.9 mg
Carbs: 20.3 g
Protein: 20.9 g