Ingredients
3 lbs stewing steak, cut into bite-size chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small/medium onions, chopped roughly
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bottle red wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
10 baby shallots
450g smoked bacon lardons
225g chestnut mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Put olive oil in a large casserole dish and heat until hot
- Brown off the beef and onions then mix together adding the plain flour to soak up all of the juices
- Add the wine bit by bit making sure you keep stirring to combine the flour, juices and wine
- Add garlic, thyme and bay leaves and season
- Cook on a low heat for 3 hours and in the meantime add a splash of olive oil to a small pan and gently fry the lardons and shallots together and stir in with mushrooms for another hour cooking time
- Serve piping hot with a simple accompaniment of long-grain rice for a summery take on one of our favourite classics
