Bistro Braised Beef With Shiitake And Pearl Onions

Total Time: 2 hrs 6 mins Preparation Time: 6 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms or 1/2 lb oyster mushrooms or 1/2 lb your favourite mushroom
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 to 11/2-inch (2.5 to 4 cm)
• 1 cup brewed coffee (your favorite)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp/5 ml dried)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 2 -3 cups baby carrots
• 2 -3 cups peeled pearl onions
• fresh ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 clean shiitake and remove stems, if using other mushrooms simply clean.
• 2 leave whole or if mushrooms are large, thickly slice.
• 3 in a large wide saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter and 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil over medium-high.
• 4 add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
• 5 remove from heat and turn into a bowl.
• 6 in a large bowl, stir flour with salt.
• 7 add beef and lightly coat in flour.
• 8 in the pan that mushrooms were cooked in, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. cook half the meat until browned all over, then remove to a bowl.
• 9 repeat with remaining meat adding a little more oil.
• 10 stir in coffee, water, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar,worcestershire, herbs and meat in bowl to the saucepan.
• 11 bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low, mixture should be gently simmering.
• 12 stir occasionally for 1 1/2 hours, meat should nearly be tender.
• 13 stir in carrots and onions.
• 14 continue to cook, simmering gently and stirring occasionally until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes.
• 15 if you would like sauce a little thicker, uncover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
• 16 stir in mushrooms.
• 17 add pepper to taste.
• 18 serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles, sprinkled with parsley or fresh thyme.
• 19 peeling pearl onions:.
• 20 drop unpeeled onions in boiling water for a minute or so.
• 21 plunge into cold water.
• 22 cut base of onions and squeeze.
• 23 onions will pop out of skin.