1/4 Pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
4 fresh parsley stems (no leaves)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves (not California)
2 cloves
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Burgundy)
1 Pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling onions or pearl onions
1 Pound mushrooms, quartered if large
Cook bacon in boiling salted water 3 minutes, then drain.
Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour and beef
between
2 (1-quart) sealable plastic bags, seal, then shake to coat meat.
Heat 1 tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide
6- to 8-quart
heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then
brown
beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding
remaining
tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.
Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy to pot. Deglaze by
boiling
over high heat 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then
pour over
beef.
Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen
string to make a bouquet garni (tuck cloves into celery so they don't
fall
out).
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until
foam
subsides, then saute bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions,
garlic,
and carrots, then saute, stirring, until onions are pale golden, about
5
minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, meat
with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered,
until
meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
While meat simmers, blanch boiling onions in boiling salted water 1
minute
and drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water, then peel.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately
high
heat until foam subsides, then sauté boiling onions, stirring
occasionally,
until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water
(1
1/2 cups if using pearl onions), then simmer, partially covered, until
onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally,
until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately
high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring,
until golden
brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes. Remove bouquet
garni and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.