Prep. Time: 30′    Cooking Time: 3h 30′   Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • For the Beef:
  • 1.200 kg beef (a flatiron steak would work best, but you can use any boneless cut you want).
  • 150 g smoked pancetta, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 carrot, sliced into 1 cm pieces
  • 1 medium onion, sliced into thick slices
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 500 g red wine
  • 600 g beef broth
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • For the Onions:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 350 g small onions, uncut
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Fresh thyme
  • For the Mushrooms:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 300 g whole button mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
  2. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and sauté the pancetta for 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer the pancetta to a plate using a slotted spoon.
  4. Sear the pieces of beef in the same oil until browned on all sides for 3-4 minutes. Place them on the plate with the pancetta.
  5. Add the onion and carrot to the pot, sautéing until the onion is golden, stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes.
  6. Place the meat and pancetta back into the pot.
  7. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring the pot.
  8. Sprinkle with flour and stir for 1 minute.
  9. Pour in the red wine and let it boil for 3 minutes.
  10. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme.
  11. Cover the pot tightly with parchment paper, aluminum foil, and a heavy lid.
  12. Place the pot in the preheated oven and slowly cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes until the meat is tender but still juicy.
  13. Separate the meat from the sauce – we still have some magic to do with the latter.

For the Onions:

  1. Remove the root from the small onions.
  2. In a boiling pot, boil the onions for 2 minutes.
  3. Drain and clean them.
  4. Allow them to dry on absorbent paper.
  5. Heat a pan and add the olive oil and butter.
  6. Add the onions and let them turn golden, stirring regularly for 10 minutes.
  7. Finally, add 1 cup of broth and let them soften.
  8. Add salt, pepper towards the end, and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
  9. Keep them warm.

For the Mushrooms:

  1. Clean the small whole mushrooms with a damp towel.
  2. Heat the olive oil until it smokes.
  3. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  4. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and sauté for 2-3 minutes over high heat.
  5. Season with salt and pepper and keep them warm.

For the Sauce:

  1. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer over the pot, pressing all the remaining ingredients with a spoon to extract all the liquid.
  2. Discard the vegetables in the strainer.
  3. Boil the sauce over high heat for 5-6 minutes until it thickens. Then, return the cooked meat to the pot.
  4. Add the small onions and mushrooms, season for salt and pepper (if necessary), and simmer for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
  5. Add a piece of cold butter and shake the pot by the handles to melt it.
  6. Finally, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, stir, and let the dish stand covered off the heat for 15 minutes.
  7. Plate and serve.
  8. Enjoy!

Source: Argiro Barbarigou