An elaborate beef stew that it is quite time consuming to prepare but which generally brings a lot of joy to my guests. I recommend serving with a gratin dauphinois.

Ingredients

For 8 servings

Marinade ingredients

  • 1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 sprig fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds cubed beef chuck roast

Cooking ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoon of Olive oil
  • 1/4 pound bacon, cubed
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the wine, cognac, onions, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt. Mix well and add the cubed beef. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. The next day, strain the meat from the vegetables and marinade; reserve marinade. Dry meat with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large tall pot over medium high heat. Add the meat and saute for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate medium bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, add the bacon and saute until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to the bowl with the meat. Drain the pot and return it to the heat. Pour a cup of marinade into the pot to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen up all the little bits. Return this liquid to the reserved marinade.
  4. Heat some olive oil in the pot. Add the onion and carrot from the marinade, along with the additional onion that you’ve chopped, and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the meat and bacon, again using a slotted spoon, and return pot to the heat. Add the flour to the pot, combining with the oil and stir until well mixed and brown, about 2 minutes.
  5. Now add the tomato paste, garlic, beef broth, reserved marinade and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and whisk to remove any flour lumps.
  6. Now pour the meat and vegetable mixture into the pot and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. About 15 minutes before meat is done baking, melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. When meat is done, add the mushrooms to the meat mixture, stir well and let sit for about 15 minutes.
  8. You can reheat the stew if you don’t finish in one sitting. It only gets better over time.