what about this
Slow cook large slabs of braising steak or a beef joint (brisket is cheap) with a bottle of red wine, lots of onions, garlic, a bay leaf and seasoning. Cook for several hours, either in a slow cooker/oven (or both so you can make enough).
1: With the liquor that is left, you could use this to make French onion soup (you could always add more onion and beef stock to stretch it out). I would portion out the soup into bowls, then put pre cooked garlic bread into each and top with grated cheddar. Then shove under the grill, until the cheese is melted.
2: With the meat that is left I would shred/pull this apart. You thenhave so many options what can be made with it, either on the same day as the soup or on a different day altogether!
Use as a pie filling: add onions, carrots, stock and red wine. Heat until thick, add to an oven dish and add a pastry top.
Use as a base to make a ragu sauce for either lasagna or spaghetti: Heat onion, celery, carrot and bacon lardons. When cooked, add the shredded meat and garlic and heat through. Then add Passata, tomato purée, a glass of wine and some chilli. Heat through and serve.
Use to make a chilli to fill tacos. Fry onion and bacon lardons. Then add the meat and paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander and a little cinnamon. Add Passata, tomato purée and a splash of lime juice. When heated, scatter over chopped coriander and serve.
Use to make a Korean beef dish. Fry onion, garlic and ginger. Add the meat, add soy, honey, shaishing rice wine, chilli and rice noodles. Serve this in lettece leaves (to act as a wrap), lime wedges and bean sprouts.
Lastly, you could use the meat and make into a curry.