Ingredients

• 1.6kg/3lb 8oz good-quality braising steak (chuck steak)
• 4-5 tbsp sunflower oil
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g/7oz smoked bacon lardons or smoked streaky bacon
• cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 75cl bottle red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 beef stock cube
• 2 large bay leaves
• 3 bushy sprigs thyme
• 25g/1oz butter
• 450g/1lb button onions
• or 24 baby onions
• 300g/10½oz button chestnut mushrooms
• wiped and halved or quartered if large
• 2 heaped tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp cold water
• freshly chopped parsley
• to garnish

Directions

• Cut the braising steak into chunky pieces
• each around 4-5cm/1½-2in. Trim off any really hard fat or sinew. Season the beef really well with salt and pepper.
• Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the beef in three batches over a medium-high heat until nicely browned on all sides
• turning every now and then and adding more oil if necessary. As soon as the beef is browned
• transfer to a large flameproof casserole. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C (fan)/Gas 3.
• Pour a little more oil into the pan in which the beef was browned and fry the bacon for 2-3 minutes
• or until the fat crisps and browns. Scatter the bacon over the meat. Add a touch more oil to the frying pan and fry the chopped onion over a low heat for 5-6 minutes
• stirring often until softened. Stir the garlic into the pan and cook for one minute more.
• Add the onion and garlic to the pan with the meat and pour over the wine. Stir in the tomato purée and 150ml/5fl oz water. Crumble over the stock cube
• add the herbs and bring to a simmer. Stir well
• cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1½ -1¾ hours
• or until the beef is almost completely tender.
• While the beef is cooking
• peel the button onions. Put the onions in a heatproof bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave to stand for five minutes and then drain. When the onions are cool enough to handle
• trim off the root close to the end so they don’t fall apart and peel off the skin.
• A few minutes before the beef is ready
• melt half of the butter in a large non-stick frying pan with a touch of oil and fry the onions over a medium heat for about five minutes
• or until golden-brown on all sides. Tip into a bowl. Add the remaining butter and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes over a fairly high heat until golden-brown
• turning often.
• Mix the cornflour with the water in a small bowl until smooth.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the cornflour mixture
• followed by the onions and mushrooms. Return to the oven and cook for 45 minutes more
• or until the beef is meltingly tender and the sauce is thick. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon
• if it remains fairly thin
• simply add a little more cornflour
• blended with a little cold water and simmer for a couple of minutes on the hob.
• To serve
• remove the thyme stalks. Sprinkle the casserole with freshly chopped parsley and serve.