1. Remove rind from bacon. Cut bacon into sticks (lardons) that are 1/4 inch thick and 11/2 inches long. Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 11/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry the lardons and the rind and reserve.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Put the olive oil in a large fireproof casserole and warm it over moderate heat.
4. Saute the lardons for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish, using a slotted spoon.
5. Dry the meat and saute, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Then remove the pieces to the side plate with the bacon.
6. In the same oil/fat, saute the carrot and the onion until softened. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
7. Toss the contents of the casserole with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
8. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove and toss contents again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
9. Lower the heat to to 325 and remove the casserole from the oven.
10. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs, and the bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
11. Cover and return to the oven and simmer 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
12. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside until needed.
For the onions:
1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until brown, but not split apart.
2. Pour in beef stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover. Simmer over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
For the mushrooms:
1. Heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet. As soon as the foam begins to subside, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for about five minutes until the mushrooms are brown. Remove from heat.
Finish the stew:
1. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole dish and return the beef and bacon to it, discarding the bits of carrot and onion that remain in the sieve. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
2. Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon.
3. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and serve over potatoes, noodles or rice, garnished with parsley.
- Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Alfred A. Knopf, 1967)Per serving: 783 calories, 62 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams sugar, 46 grams fat, 175 milligrams cholesterol, 1,523 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.
Contact staff writer Dianna Marder at 215-854-4211 or dmarder@phillynews.com. Read her recent work at http://go.philly.com/diannamarder.
