1. Blanch the bacon to remove its
smoky taste. Drop bacon slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a
boil, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on
paper towels.
2. In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown
slightly in a little oil; set them aside and add later to simmer with
the beef, using the rendered fat in browning. Brown the chunks of beef
on all sides in the bacon fat and olive oil, season with salt and
pepper, and put them into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or covered
casserole pan. Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan.
3. Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the
sliced vegetables and brown them, and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan
with wine, pouring it into the casserole along with enough stock to
almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer slowly on the lowest heat
possible, either on the stove or in a preheated 325°F oven, until the
meat is tender, about 1 to 2 hours.
4. While the stew is cooking, prepare the onions. Blanch the
onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to
stop the cooking. Slice the end tips off of the onions, peel the onions
and score the root end with 1/4 inch cuts. Sauté onions in a single
layer in a tablespoon or two of butter until lightly browned. Add
chicken stock or water half way up the sides of the onions. Add a
teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer
slowly for 25 minutes or until tender. The onions should absorb most of
the water. If there is water remaining after cooking, drain the excess.
Set aside.
5. Prepare the mushrooms a few minutes before serving the
stew. Sauté quartered mushrooms in a few tablespoons of butter and
olive oil until browned and cooked through.
6. When the stew meat has cooked sufficiently, remove all
solids from the sauce (except the beef) by draining through a colander
set over a saucepan. Return the beef to the casserole. Press juices out
of the residue into the cooking liquid, then remove any visible fat and
boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié,
then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. Correct
seasoning and pour over the meat, folding in the onions and mushrooms.
To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce
for several minutes until hot throughout.
