1
3 lbs
stew beef
6 oz
thick-cut bacon
1 tbsp
olive oil
Sauté the bacon in olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When lightly browned, set the bacon aside while leaving the grease in the skillet. Raise the temperature until almost smoking and brown the beef in small batches and set aside with the bacon.
2
1 lb
mushrooms (brown)
20
onions (small, white)
Lightly cook the onions and mushrooms in the same skillet using the bacon grease and drippings from the meat until they've just started to brown. When finished, set the vegetables aside separately and discard the excess grease.
3
2 tbsp
flour
½ tsp
salt
½ tsp
black pepper
Return the beef and bacon to the cast-iron skillet and toss with the salt, pepper, and flour. Place in the oven to cook all the way through, tossing once in the middle (about 8 min total).
4
3 cups
red wine
2½ cups
beef stock
1 tbsp
tomato paste
2 cloves
garlic (minced)
½ tsp
thyme
1
bay leaf (crumbled)
Add the red wine and enough beef stock to just cover the meat. Add the herbs, herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, and then cover and place in the oven at 375°F (adjust as needed to maintain a low simmer) until the meat is soft and crumbling (3-4 hours).
5
4 sprigs
parsley
½ leaf
bay leaf
¼ tsp
thyme
When there's about 1 hour remaining on the prior step, create a herb bouquet by crushing the various herbs by hand and wrapping them in a few layers of cheese cloth. Tie off the cloth to close, and leave plenty of extra string.
6
½ cups
beef stock
1 tbsp
butter
1 tbsp
olive oil
½ tsp
salt
½ tsp
pepper
Add butter and olive oil to a second cast-iron skillet. Once the butter foams, add the reserved onions and sautée over medium heat until the onions are evenly browned, taking care not to break their skins. Finally, add the beef stock, salt, black pepper, and herb bouquet. Cover and simmer until the onions are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Discard the bouquet, and set the onions aside.
7
1 tbsp
butter
1 tbsp
olive oil
Clean the second skillet, and heat another portion of butter and olive oil over high heat. Once the butter foams, add the mushrooms. Sautée until soft and translucent. Set the mushrooms aside.
8
Once the meat is finished cooking, remove the first skillet from the oven and strain the solids while retaining the liquid in a large saucepan. Rinse the skillet and return the solids to it. Add the mushrooms as a layer on top, and then arrange the onions around the edge.
9
Skim the fat from the retained liquid in the saucepan. Simmer while continuing to skim off the fat until the sauce is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. Add more beef stock if it is already too thick when starting. When finished, gently pour the sauce over the meat in the first skillet.