I have cooked this quite a few times and always use the same recipe from my copy of Margaret Fulton's Encyclopedia of Food and Cookery.
Ingredients:
1kg (2lbs) braising steak - I use round steak because it just works really well, but you could use chuck.
seasoned flour
1 tbsp olive oil (you'll probably need more)
1 tbsp butter (again, you'll probably need more)
3 onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt
freshly ground pepper
Turn on your oven to 160C (325F).
Cut steak into serving sized pieces.
Slice onions and set aside. I have a Zyliss slicer that makes this job so much easier.
Dredge steak in seasoned flour. I find it easiest to put the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic zip lock bag, then add the steak and shake it.
Brown the steak, a few pieces at a time, in a heavy saucepan, casserole or cast iron pot, once browned, set aside.
Add onions and garlic and cook gently until beginning to brown.
Pour off any surplus fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add stock and herbs and bring to the boil, stirring a couple of times.
Add the browned meat, cover tightly with the lid and cook in the pre-heated oven for 1 1/2-2 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable...peas are my favourite.
I use golden potatoes (Yukon gold) to make mine. They have a slightly yellow colour and a creamy texture. I just bring a pot of salted water to a boil and throw the peeled and cut up potatoes in. I test their softness using a cake tester. Then I just drain them and mash with a potatoe masher, add a dash or two of milk, mash a bit more then whip the potatoes with my masher or a wooden spoon to get them light and creamy.
There you have it. One of the best cold weather dinners, that is actually quite easy to make.
Enjoy.
Matt
