French Beef with Burgundy Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
• 3 lbs. beef chuck into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 1 large carrot, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 3 tbsp. All-purpose flour
• 2 cans Condensed beef broth
• 2 cups red burgundy wine
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ tsp. thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (or 1 large can)
• 1 lb. small white onions (pearl)

In Dutch oven -large iron skillet - cook bacon until crisp - remove - brown beef in fat, remove. In drippings brown carrot and onion - spoon off fat - return bacon and beef to pan. Season with salt and ¼ tsp. pepper; stir in flour. Reserve ½ cup broth add remainder to stew. Add wine, tomato paste and herbs. Cover - let simmer 3 hours.

Quarter large mushrooms - sauté in 3 tbsp. butter or oil - 5 minutes -lift out. Add small onions. Then add reserved broth. Simmer covered until tender about 10 minutes.

Thicken stew with "Beurre Manie" – ¼ cup flour with 2 tbsp. butter - roll into pea-size balls. Skim fat from stew, drop in balls. Stip over very low heat until thickened. Add mushrooms, onions, bring to bubbling.

Serves 8 people.