Beef in Claret

Historically, there has been a long "French Connection" between Scotland and France. As a result, there has always been a fair amount of gastronomic interplay between the two countries. In particular, French wine, especially claret, was imported and used in cooking as well as being consumed in large quantities. Here is a recipe combining home produced beef with French claret.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the trimmings

• 5  ounces lean bacon
• 6 -8  small  young onions
• 2  cups  chopped button mushrooms

• Ingredients for the meat

• 3  lbs  stewing  steak
• 4  tablespoons  oil
• 5  cloves garlic, crushed
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1  bottle  fruity young Burgundy wine or 1  bottle  beaujolais wine
•  salt
•  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  bunch fresh herb

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown.
2. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes.
3. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2.
5. Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½" square.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cubes of meat.
7. Place in a casserole, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat.
8. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process.
9. Stir from time to time.
10. Add the wine, light seasoning and herbs.
11. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender.
12. Remove from the oven and stir in the trimmings.
13. Heat for a further five minutes and serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley.
14. If you have another bottle of Burgundy or Beaujolais to drink with the meal- so much the better!