Ingredients:

  • 175g / 6 oz Thick-cut Smoked Bacon or Lardons, diced
  • 5 kg / 3.3 lbs Beef Chuck (or Silverside), cut into 4 cm / 1.5 inch cubes
  • 1 tsp / 5g Coarse Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp / 2.5g Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 60g / ½ cup All-Purpose Flour (plus extra for dredging)
  • 2 tbsp / 30ml Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
  • 2 large Brown Onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick
  • 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp / 15g Tomato Paste (concentrated purée)
  • 750 ml Dry Red Wine (Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
  • 450 ml / 1.9 cups Beef Stock (low sodium)
  • 1 Bouquet Garni (a tie of fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley)
  • 450g / 1 lb Button Mushrooms, whole or halved
  • 250g / 8 oz Pearl Onions, peeled
  • 30g / 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tsp Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Render the thick-cut bacon or lardons in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy (8-10 minutes). Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving the rendered fat. Toss the beef cubes with the salt, pepper, and flour until lightly coated.
  2. Add the olive oil to the reserved bacon fat. Increase heat to high and sear the floured beef in single batches (do not crowd the pot) until deeply browned on all sides (about 4 minutes per batch). Remove the beef and set aside with the lardons. Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine or stock, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onions and carrots to the pot and cook, scraping up any remaining residue, until softened (about 8 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Return the seared beef and lardons to the pot.
  4. Pour in the full bottle of dry red wine. Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer for 5-7 minutes to cook off the alcohol and slightly reduce the liquid volume. Pour in the beef stock and nestle the bouquet garni into the liquid.
  5. Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F. Bring the stew to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
  6. About 20 minutes before the end of the braise, sauté the mushrooms in the butter in a separate frying pan until deeply browned. Add the pearl onions and cook briefly until heated through.
  7. Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the bouquet garni. Stir in the cooked mushrooms and pearl onions. If the sauce is too thin, bring the stew back to a simmer on the hob and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until it thickens slightly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.