Casseroles never look very nice but I have a couple of recipes which usually taste great so this is kind of a combination of the two. Not everyone adds mushrooms or prefer to have garlic as well. Your choice.
Ingredients To serve 6 so vary accordingly
800g braising beef
3 tbsp plain flour
sea salt and ground black pepper
olive oil, for cooking
200g smoked bacon lardons
2 medium carrots, cut into 2cm cubes
1 small celeriac, cut into 2 cm cubes
150g pearl onions or shallots, peeled (and quartered if shallots)
a few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
250g chestnut mushrooms and halved if large
1 tsp tomato puree
500ml red wine
300ml good quality beef stock
handful of chopped parsley
Method
Heat oven to 150 degrees/Gas 2
Cut beef into bite sized chunks.
Season the flour with salt and petter and toss meat in flour to coat.
Heat olive oil over medium heat.
Sear beef briefly in two or three batches until browned all over and then transfer to plate to rest.
Add the bacon lardons to the pan and fry gently until golden (add more olive oil as necessary). Tip carrots and celeriac into pan with onions, thyme and bay leaves and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes until veg starts to soften. Stir in mushrooms and tomato puree and saute for a further 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the red wine and scrape bottom of pan with wooden spon to deglaze. Add stock and bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for a few minutes. Return the beef to the pan and stir to immerse the meat in the liquid completely.
Put lid on casserole dish and cook in teh oven for 2.5 hours or until beef is very tender.
Check the seasoning and scatter the chopped parsley over the stew. Serve.