Beef with Onions and Wine

I made a delicious meal from “Jubilee,” the beef with onions and wine. I prepared the recipe as shown below with a few modifications. I omitted the pearl onions; they were unavailable at my local grocer. I didn’t fret because I still used the two cups of sliced onions.

I added a little under two pounds of beef stew meat. I threw in an extra carrot. I sprinkled some cayenne and smoked paprika with 1-hour of baking time remaining. I served it over rice and paired it with crusty French bread. I can’t rave enough about this dish. It packed layers of flavor, texture and succulent meat. I look forward to fixing it again soon.

By the way, I cooked with Cooper’s Hawk red wine. My family member who doesn’t drink didn’t notice. Everyone loved it. You will too.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 pound pearl onions
½ pound sliced bacon
2½ pounds beef stew meat or chuck, cut into 1½ – inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1½ teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups sliced onions
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
4 cups red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
parsley, minced for garnish
freshly cooked mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice for serving

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the pearl onions in a bowl. Pour in enough water to cover the onions and set aside to soak for 10 to 15 minutes to loosen the skins. Use your fingers to rub the skins loose and peel the onions Use a sharp knife to make a small X on the stem end.
In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon in batches over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes per batch. Remove the bacon, leaving the drippings in the pan, and crumble the bacon when cool enough to handle.
Pat the meat dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish or paper bag, combine salt, pepper, thyme, and flour. Place the beef in the dish and dust or shake the meat with the seasoned flour to entirely coat.
In the Dutch oven, heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pan in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sear until deeply browned, then turn and sear on all sides. This can take some time. Use a slotted spoon to remove the seared meat to a plater and set the meat aside.
Add the sliced onions and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until tender-crisp. As you stir, scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up any browned bits and dissolve them into the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables to the platter with the meat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté until tender. Return the meat, vegetables, and any juices that collect on the plate to the pot. Stir in the wine, tomato paste and bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer, cover the pot tightly, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 hours. Stir the pearl onions and bacon into the pan and add salt to taste, remembering that it will concentrate somewhat as it continues to cook. Bake until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour more If necessary, add a little water or stock if the liquid seems thick.
Before serving, remove and discard the bay leaf. Sprinkle the stew with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Recipe recreated by Rekaya Gibson from “Jubilee,” by Toni Tipton-Martin.

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