Beef with Wine & Mushrooms

 A rich beef dish which uses a whole bottle of wine, cooked slowly until the flavors blend and the beef is fork-tender.  Nice served over egg noodles.

 3-4 pounds beef for stew, cut into cubes.  (I use Top Round, but also Bottom Round, etc..)
1 bottle dry red wine.  (I use Merlot, but also Burgundy, Pinot Noir,  Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc..)
1 large container (32 oz) beef stock or low-sodium beef broth (reserve 1/2 cup)
2 medium-large onions, medium dice.  Sweet onions if available.
2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1/2 can (6 oz. can) tomato paste
Fresh parsley, several sprigs (some for bouquet garni, some chopped into the dish)
16 oz. sliced mushrooms (I use Baby Portabella)
1 tsp. Whole Peppercorns
2  Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried or fresh
1/3 Cup Wondra
Olive Oil
 Salt & Pepper

(Serve over egg noodles)


Cut the beef into cubes, pat well to dry with paper towels or a clean white kitchen towel.

Use any good stew beef, cubed. 
This was a cut bought on sale and frozen for later use.   Make good use of those sale cuts!

Heat a large pan, add a bit of olive oil.  Bring the oil to heat (medium-high) and add beef.   Cook beef, stirring occasionally, until browned.

Brown the beef in a bit of olive oil

Set the beef aside into a large pot. 

Add whole bottle of wine to the pan that beef was browned in, scraping the bottom to deglaze.    Cook on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes.   You want to reduce the wine in volume to intensify the flavor.

Pour wine into pan that beef was browned in. 
Deglaze by stirring to release the "good beef bits!"

While the wine is cooking, chop the onions and crush garlic.  Saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and saute until tender.

Saute the onions and garlic

Then prepare a "bouquet garni" with the parsley sprigs (reserve a few sprigs to chop).  If you have cheesecloth to tie the herbs with twine, great.  But if not, you can put the herbs in a tea ball, close tight and hang it from the side of the pot..   Or even place them in a coffee filter and tie the bundle with twine.   When tying with twine, leave a long tail so you can tie it to the pot handle.

Making a bouquet garni with parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves & thyme.
Place all the herbs in a tea ball, close the ball and hang from the pot.
You may also bundle the herbs in cheesecloth or a coffee filter and tie with twine.

When wine is adequately reduced, pour over the beef..  Bring to medium-high heat.    Add the beef stock (Reserve about 1/2 Cup to mix with Wondra later), onions, garlic, tomato paste, and chopped parsley.   Hang the bouquet garni to the side or tie to pot handle.

Ingredients in pot and ready to be cooked for several hours.

Bring to a boil then immediately reduce to simmer.   Simmer uncovered for approximately 3 1/2 hours, occasionally skimming the surface of any foamy impurities.  Stir occasionally.

After 3  hours or so (when beef is tender), saute the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, seasoned with salt & pepper.   Stir int pot.

Lastly, thicken with Wondra/beef stock and add sauteed mushrooms

Wondra is a wonder.. It thickens without lumps,
and is great for when you need to
add flour well into cooking, as with this dish.

Stir the Wondra with reserved beef stock and pour slowly into pot while stirring.  Raise heat and bring to high simmer, then reduce heat.     Cook an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour until mixture is thickened and beef is very tender.

Serve over egg noodles.